Losing the Script
by TheAvengerFairy
Summary: /Also published on Wattpad/ Amethyst "Amy" Hall is sick of having her father control her life and dreams of writing her own script instead. However, after she meets a certain albino actor at the annual RFA party, she might just get the chance to turn her dream into a reality, although not without complications along the way. Fortunately, she won't be facing them alone.
1. The White Knight

"Amethyst Grace Hall, why aren't you ready yet?! We leave for the RFA party in an hour!"

Amy lazily raised her eyes from the notebook in front of her to look at her younger sister, Emerald, or Emma as she preferred to be called, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Uninterested, she allowed her gaze to drop back to the page and hastily scribbled something down. With an irritated huff, Emma stormed over to her sister and snatched the book away.

"Hey, give that back!" Amy yelped, leaping off of her bed and reaching for the notebook. However, her little sister brought the book close to her chest, sheltering it with her body, and hastily scurried over to her sister's bookshelf.

"You're starting to get careless, Amy. What if Dad came in here instead of me and found this?" she said as she pulled out one of the many books and opened it. Instead of pages, a rectangular cavity rested inside the leather cover, its sides painted so it looked like a stack of yellowing paper from far away. After slipping the notebook inside the secret compartment, Emma hastily closed the "book" and hastily returned it to its place on the shelf.

Amethyst shuddered at the thought of her father finding that notebook. She knew what he would do. He would get angry and yell and he would possibly even hit her. He would remind her that her life belonged to him and that her life's purpose was to be a bargaining chip for his company and possibly a housewife, not a author or artist. In his eyes, women getting a college education or going to work was unacceptable; any man whose wife has to work is obviously not good enough to be her husband. In his opinion, women were not qualified to run companies or businesses; they were to remain at home like in the olden days and perform their duties there. That was why her and Emma's mom, a very independent woman, had left him when the younger girl was only five years old. Unfortunately, she wasn't qualified to care for the girls after the divorce, so their father had full custody of them. However, the three women kept in touch, and with their mother's help, the two daughters had been taking online college courses right under their father's nose. Of course, they had to do so in secret and being caught would result in dire consequences.

Still, despite the looming dangers, Amy longed to retrieve her notebook from its hiding place and return to her own little world amongst the safety its pages. She knew what this evening would hold and she wasn't looking forward to it on bit. However, the stern glimmer in her sister's told her the matter wasn't up for argument. With a loud sigh, she grabbed the simple, short black cocktail dress and the elegant matching heels her father had given her off of the bed and slipped into her closet to change. After she had it on, she walked back out and inspected herself in the mirror. The dress was a very flattering cut on her, much to her dismay.

"That's enough pouting. You'll get wrinkles. Now come sit down and I'll help you with your hair." Emma stated, patting the stool in front of her sister's vanity. As her older sister slid into the seat, she noted the sadness hidden in her blue orbs and felt her heart twange sympathetically for her. Being the eldest daughter of a very traditional father, she was burdened with the responsibility of ensuring their father's company and the family fortune endured by marrying a wealthy businessman who could take over and allow her father to retire. Every time their father had an important event, poor Amethyst would be dragged along and shown off like a prized pet to the other business owners in hopes they would become entranced with her and ask for her hand in marriage. So far she had managed to avoid her fate with subtle scowls and whispered insults when her father wasn't listening, but she knew one day such methods would not be enough anymore. She could only prolong the inevitable, but she intended to prolong it tirelessly for as long as possible.

Hoping to offer her sister some consolation, Emerald searched her mind for some glimmer in hope amongst the dark. Unfortunately, she could only find one, and she knew it wouldn't do much good.

"I heard Jumin will be at the party." she said softly as she finished brushing her sister's hair and reached for the curling iron.

An audible groan escaped Amy's lips as she rolled her eyes. "Great..."

Although it was nice that Jumin was closer to Amy's age than her father's other "worthy suitors", the woman was quite sick of hearing his name. Ever since their first meeting, he had been all her father talked about. It was clear her father approved of the executive producer and desired for his daughter to woo the young man. Unfortunately for him, Amy didn't share his admiration for the businessman.

"You should give him a chance, Amy. He's young and seems pretty nice." Emma said as she wrapped strand after strand of her sister's hair around the hot iron.

"Perhaps, but he is colder than dry ice. I'd get more affection from a computer." Amy scoffed.

"Amethyst, that's mean!"

"It's true! All he cares about is work and that stupid cat of his! He is no better than all the other guys Dad has introduced me to, so I'm not interested."

Emma sighed wearily. "Sis, you can't keep playing this game forever. Eventually Dad's patience is going to dry up and he'll do something rash."

"He can do what he likes. It won't matter in a few months when I get my degree and move out."

"But Amy, you can't get a job as an author or playwright right out of college! How will you survive?"

"I've already figured that out. A local library is looking for a new librarian, and I went in for a interview. I'll start working for them a few days after I graduate. The pay isn't much, but MC has offered to let me stay at her place till I get a better job."

Emma's eyes widened in surprise. "MC? From high school? She was a senior when you were a freshman. How did you two start talking?"

"We got paired together for a project in an elective class. Things just kind of took off from there."

"Oh. So she's going to let you stay at her apartment? That's so nice of her!"

"Yeah. Apparently she is staying at a new apartment and hasn't gotten a chance to sell her old one yet."

"Huh, that's odd. I wonder why she moved." Emma stated curiously as she ran her fingers through her sister's curls to loosen them. Once she was satisfied, she unplugged the iron and reached for her sister's foundation.

"I can do my makeup myself." Amy stated, shooing her hand away.

"Alright. I'll see you downstairs in an hour then. Don't you dare take that notebook back out again or else!"

A halfhearted chuckle left Amethyst's lips. "You sound like a mom."

"Well, one of us has to be the responsible one, and it's obvious that it's not going to be you." Emma huffed defensively, crossing her arms. Heading for the door, she briefly stopped to glance over her shoulder at her sister. "Amy, please at least try to enjoy yourself tonight. Who knows, maybe this party will be different from the others."

Amy only rolled her were in annoyance as she reached for her makeup brushes sitting on her vanity.

"Fat chance of that." she grumbled sarcastically.

Not knowing what else to say, Emerald quietly slipped out of the room, leaving her sister to paint on her smiling, red-lipped mask.

* * *

Amethyst's eyes wandered over the entire room, looking everywhere except at the man in front of her. As she had expected, her father immediately dumped her into Jumin's lap the minute he spotted the young man at the party. Now, the two were awkwardly standing in a corner together, avoiding each other's gaze. With a loud sigh, Jumin finally allowed his eyes to look at the young woman across from him, her arms folded across her chest.

"You could at least pretend like you enjoy my company." he grumbled.

Turning to the man, Amy flashed him an icy smile. "I don't know what you mean."

Jumin's eyes narrowed. "Look, I'm not any happier about this than you are, but your little pity party isn't going to get you anywhere."

"Fine. I'll quit ignoring you when you stop looking at your phone to check on that stupid cat of yours."

Jumin's face turned bright red, causing Amy to snicker.

"Look Jumin, we both know your heart belongs to someone else. True, she isn't your species, but she holds your heart nonetheless. There's no point in me putting effort towards a lost cause." she cooed smugly, twirling one of her long, white-to-purple ombré curls around her finger. "Now, why don't you be a good date and fetch me a drink from the bar?"

"Get it yourself." Jumin huffed irritably, turning his back on his date and storming off.

Smiling to herself, Amy sauntered over to the bar. However, as she walked, she could sense a pair of eyes watching her like a hawk, sending chills up her spine. Glancing around the room once more, she noticed a man dressed in Arabic clothing staring in her direction. One look told Amy exactly what kind of man he was: a commanding, lecherous older businessman who liked money and younger women. She had dealt with his kind before. Avoiding his gaze, Amethyst hurried over to the bar, hoping the man had been looking at some other girl and not her. However, as the bartender was setting the beauty's requested drink in front of her, she sensed a presence behind her and turned to find the same Arabic businessman standing behind her with a wide smile on his face and a lustful twinkle in his eye.

"Pretty lady come to party alone? Not smart. Bad men might hurt pretty lady. I watch over you. You thank me later with favor." the man said in very broken English as he cornered Amethyst against the bar.

Amy smiled hollowly up at the businessman. "I'm not alone, actually, but thank you for your concern. I should get back to my date."

However, the man refused to move, much to Amy's dismay.

"Date leave pretty lady alone. He not good for pretty lady. I not abandon pretty lady at a party. Pretty lady stay with me." he insisted, his hand grasping hold of Amy's waist.

Suppressing her unease, Amy forced herself to keep smiling as she tried to slip around the man. "Look, I'm flattered that you worried about me, but I'm not into older men, okay? Now I really need to go-"

"Pretty lady stay with me. Pretty lady stay with me all night long." the man stated sternly, tightening his grip on Amy and pulling her to his chest. Now the woman was irritated.

"Look buddy, you better let go of me right now or else!" she hissed.

A deep chuckle echoed from the depths of the man's chest.

"Pretty lady feisty. I like feisty ladies. Feisty ladies fun." he purred. Taking Amy's chin between his thumb and forefinger, he leaned down slowly, lips puckered. Appalled, Amy tried to squirm from his grasp, but his grip remained firm. As her impending doom grew closer, Amy shut her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable.

"There you are! I was looking all over for you!"

As the Arab man pulled back, Amy opened her eyes to see a handsome man with silvery white hair and scarlet eyes making his way towards her. Blushing profusely, the businessman stepped aside as the mysterious stranger slipped between him and Amy.

"I thought I told you to wait for me before going to the bar." he continued softly, his red eyes staring into her blue ones. Amy could only stare at him in awe, her mouth hanging slightly open.

"Play along." he whispered, shooting a glance at the Arab still looming behind him.

Blinking in surprise, Amy hurried spat out the first thing she could think of. "You were taking too long and I was thirsty."

The albino man chuckled as he gently slipped his massive hand around her small one. "You're so stubborn; it's adorable."

A shade of light pink dusted Amy's cheeks as she looked away from the man.

"Let's go back and join the others. They're extremely excited to hear about our honeymoon."

"A-Alright." Grabbing her drink, Amy allowed the younger man to guide her away from the bar and businessman and into the crowd. The entire time, her eyes remained fixed on his chiseled features and fascinating eyes framed by his snowy locks.

"Are you alright?"

"What?" she asked, taken offguard.

"I asked if you're alright." the man repeated, turning his head to look at her.

"Oh, y-yes I'm fine. Thank you for what you did back there." Amy replied, still blushing.

The man's lips twisted into a small smile. "You aren't a bad actress. Are you a performer?"

"No actually, unless you count pretending to be an angel whenever my dad is looking."

The man's amused laugh echoed through the air. "You are quite funny. My name is Zen. Who might you be?"

"Amethyst, but everyone calls me Amy."

"Amethyst. What a lovely and unique name."

"Says the guy named Zen."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Zen said with a wink. Noticing the drink in Amy's hand, he hastily snatched it away.

"Hey, what was that for?!" she exclaimed.

"I noticed the bartender slip something in your drink while your were preoccupied. You honestly need to be more careful." Zen stated as he set the glass down on a ledge as he walked by it.

"Oh." Embarrassed, Amy looked away. She should've been paying more attention.

"That pervert wasn't wrong though; it's improper for such a lady such as yourself to come to a party like this unattended. Don't you have a date?" Zen asked.

"My date was Jumin Han but he stormed off on me, not that I care. That robot only cares about his cat."

Zen stopped and stared at the woman. "Wait, did you just say JUMIN was your date?! Why the heck would you be with him?!"

"It wasn't my choice. My father pretty much threw me into his arms the minute we got here. I would much rather be home in the safety of my room at the moment." Amy answered.

"Oh." Zen was silent for a moment then flashed Amy a smile. "Well, since we're both lonely singles, would you do me the honor of serving as my date for this evening?"

Amy raised a questioning eyebrow. "Are you asking me out?"

"Maybe. It depends on how you look at it." Zen smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Chuckling at the boy's flirty antics, Amy nodded in agreement, won over by his charm. As Zen smiled down at her, something tugged at the back of her mind.

"Hey, have I seen you somewhere before?" she asked as she peered up at his face.

Again, Zen winked at her. "Maybe, maybe not."

"Are you going to be this cryptic the entire evening?"

"Maybe."

Amy sighed, rolling her eyes at the man's antics. "I'm starting to wonder if I can really trust you."

Zen laughed merrily. "If you must know, I am an actor. Does that help?"

Amy shook her head. She still couldn't remember where she had seen him.

"Well, that's not important anyways. Let's focus on our time now. Are you thirsty still?"

"Not really. I just went to the bar to get away from Jumin."

Zen chuckled. "I have a feeling we're going to get along great."

Amy felt herself begin to blush. For some reason, she felt the same way.


	2. Princess in a Tower

**((Contains a somewhat of a brief spoiler from Zen's story!))**

"Wait, you mean to tell me that your parents were so clueless about what to name you and your sister that they just named you after your birthstones?" Zen asked incredulously, his eyes wide.

Amy giggled and nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty sad, isn't it?"

Zen chuckled in disbelief. "How could they still not know what to name you after nine months of waiting?"

"They had ideas but they couldn't agree on any of them, so by the time we were born, they were too tired to care." Amy shrugged. Her face suddenly became sad as she thought about her mom. Zen immediately took notice.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly.

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about." Amy stated, shrugging off her sadness. She decided to change the subject before Zen could argue. "So, you seem to not like Jumin much. What's the story behind that?"

Zen immediately scowled. "Does there have to be a story?"

"There's always a story behind everything." Amy smiled slyly.

Zen sighed and glanced out over the balcony at the horizon. The two had been talking for hours, and the sun was starting to set, casting a warm, golden glow over everything in sight.

"I don't like him for a lot of reasons, but what I find most despicable about him is the fact that he reminds me of my brother." he stated flatly.

"Oh...Did something happen between you and your brother?"

Zen's lips curved into a wry smile. "That's a can of worms you really don't want to open, sweetheart, trust me. Just know that we don't get along."

"Hmm...alright."

"Now, you've been awfully curious about me, and while I love talking about myself, I want to hear more about you. What is the story of Amethyst Hall?" Zen purred charmingly, his scarlet irises fixed on the girl's face.

Amy blushed and looked away. "My tale is nothing unique. It merely tells of yet another princess locked away in a tower guarded by a dragon till some prince comes and drags her off to his kingdom far far away."

Zen smirked, somewhat amused. "The princess doesn't sound too enthusiastic about being saved."

"Would you be excited if your only options in life are to either remain in captivity or be swept away by a prince and forced to marry him even though you barely know him?" Amy asked.

"Hmm, I suppose not." Zen stated, holding his chin thoughtfully. "Has the princess ever tried to escape?"

"Such a task is easier said than done. The dragon keeps all exits well guarded. While the princess can try to escape, he is always watching and can seal off the new opening in the blink of an eye."

"I see. So does the princess just give up and do nothing while she waits for her fate?" the albino actor asked, intrigued by the tale he was hearing.

Amy started to smile and shook her head, chuckling. "No, she is quite stubborn and insists on fighting even though the odds aren't in her favor."

"Her sense of spirit is admirable." Zen mused. For a moment, he grew silent, deep in thought. "Has the princess perhaps ever tried asking for help in her escape?"

Amy raised a questioning eyebrow. "Who would she ask? She has spent her entire life in that tower. The only other beings she has encountered aside from the dragon and his other prisoner are the princes who come to try and steal her away from the tower. She would never ask for their help."

"Surely there must be a window in the princess' tower through which she can look out and gaze upon the world below, and there must be men and creatures alike that pass by each day to whom she can call out when the dragon's back is turned."

Amy smiled. "I guess there are a few..."

"Perhaps the princess has heard the rumors spreading across the land about a great knight who has appeared nearby?"

Amy shook her head. "No, she has not."

"He is supposed to be extremely kind and powerful. Some say he can fell an entire army with one glance. I'm sure he would help the princess if she tried to contact him."

"And how would she accomplish such a task?"

"Well, the knight is also secretly a wizard, so those who wish to contact the him must perform a certain spell known only by his most trusted associates. Many however perform the spell incorrectly so the princess must be very careful and precise when casting it." Zen stated as he pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and hurriedly scribbled something down on it. Holding it out, he flashed Amy a dazzling, pearly white smile. "Fortunately, I know the spell by heart. Could you deliver this to the princess for me?"

"Of course." Another smile graced Amethyst's lips as she gently took the paper from Zen and slipped it into her handbag. Suddenly, her phone went off, the screen lighting up with a text message. A groan escape her lips when she read who it was from.

"I have to go. The dragon is beckoning for me to return." she sighed, closing her bag.

Zen's face fell, a sad glimmer in his red eyes. "I see. I hope to see you again soon, princess."

"I the same. Goodnight, fair knight."

Before the woman could slip away from him, Zen gently grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a delicate kiss on her knuckles. Blushing, Amy pulled out of his grasp and slipped off into the crowd.

* * *

Upon returning to the safety of her room, Amy immediately retrieved her notebook and flopped down onto her bed. However, as she was opening the book, pencil in hand, she stopped when her sparkly handbag caught her eye. Grabbing it, she retrieved her phone and the piece of paper from its belly and set them down on her bed. Opening her phone, she went to her contacts and hastily entered Zen's number in as a new contact. However, as she prepared to type his name, she paused. Smirking to herself, she typed in another name instead and then sent him a text.

 ** _Amy: Is this the line of the great knight, Zen?_**

A reply came almost instantly.

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: I am he. Could this be the fair princess Amethyst whom I met earlier?_**

 ** _Amy: I am she. You answered quite quickly. If I didn't know any better, I would think you were waiting for me to text you._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Maybe I was. Perhaps I enjoy your company, my lady._**

 ** _Amy: You're such a goofball. What are you up to?_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Just running lines for my next musical. Are you sure you haven't heard of me before?_**

 ** _Amy: Nope. Sorry._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: I am hurt. It wounds me that a fair lady like yourself has never heard of me..._**

Amy chuckled to herself.

 ** _Amy: Well, if you give me a list of your productions, I'll look them up and watch them. I've got nothing else to do while I'm locked away._**

For a moment, the line remained silent, and Amy grew worried. Had she said something wrong? However, her fears were quickly brushed aside when her phone vibrated once more, signalling she had received another text. Opening the message, she found her friend had sent her a random link.

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Whatever you do, do NOT watch footage from this musical. Please!_**

Amy raised a confused eyebrow.

 ** _Amy: Um...okay?_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: So, are you going to watch it?_**

 ** _Amy: Didn't you just tell me not to...?_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: You're such a goody-goody, Amy. I was trying to use reverse psychology to make you want to watch the show I just told you not to so you would go behind my back and watch it anyways._**

 ** _Amy: Okay...why?_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Because I think you'll enjoy it, disregarding the script and the other actors. Their performances were just average._**

 ** _Amy: If they're just average then why do you want me to watch it so badly?_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Well, there may or may not be a scene in the play where my shirt has been ripped open to reveal my flawless six pack and pecks..._**

Amy's cheeks immediately turned bright red as her vivid imagination painted a picture of the image Zen was describing.

 ** _Amy: Are you trying to seduce me?_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Perhaps. Is it working?_**

 ** _Amy: Of course not, you dork._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Are you sure? You're not even slightly attracted by the thought of seeing me shirtless?_**

 ** _Amy: Nope._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Darn, I'll have to try harder._**

Amy giggled in amusement.

 ** _Amy: So, are there any other productions you "don't" want me to watch? Lol_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Very funny. I honestly don't care what you watch. I've got nothing to hide._**

 ** _Amy: I see...I guess I've got a long night ahead of me._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: I'll gladly keep you company._**

 ** _Amy: You don't have practice tomorrow?_**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: I do, but I'm used to working on little sleep. I'll be fine._**

 ** _Amy: Yeah right. You're not fooling me. Get some spell. Your princess orders you._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Well, as a knight, I cannot refuse the orders of my princess. I bid you goodnight, my fair lady. I shall send you a message of my love in the morning. Till then, I bid you ado._**

Amy rolled her eyes, chuckling to herself.

 ** _Amy: Whatever, you goofball. Sleep tight._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: I will be waiting for you in dreamland, my darling. Don't stay up too late; it's rude to keep your date waiting._**

A smart aleck reply immediately popped into Amy's head, but for some reason, she couldn't type it out.

 ** _Amy: I'll be there soon, I promise. Goodnight, Zen._**

❤️ ** _The White Knight_** ❤️ ** _: Goodnight, Amy._**

Smiling, Amy copied the link Zen had sent her and searched it with her laptop. As the video started to play, she curled up underneath the covers and watched as a familiar face lit up the screen.


	3. Fooling the Dragon

"The White Knight? Amy, is there something you want to tell me?"

With a groan, Amy slowly opened her eyes to see her sister looming over her bed, something clutched tightly in her hand. Horror flooded her system when she realized what Emma was holding.

"Hey, that's mine! Give it back!" she cried, reaching out her arm and making a desperate grab for the cell phone. However, her sister easily dodged her swipe and continued to read through Amy's texts.

"My princess? I'll see you in dreamland?! It's rude to keep your date waiting?! Amy, who is this 'Zen' and what is going on between you two?!" she exclaimed.

"U-Uh, Zen is...Jumin's middle name! Yeah! He uses it as an alias." Amy quickly lied.

Emma's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why would he need to use an alias?"

"So people don't know he secretly has a corny romantic side because it'll ruin his reputation?"

"Nice try, Amy. Now I want the truth."

Amethyst sighed in surrender. "Alright, but you aren't to breathe a word of this to dad. Zen is...an accomplice of Jumin's that I met last night."

"An accomplice of Jumin's? Amy, that's wonderful! What business does he run?!"

"He isn't a business owner...he's an actor."

"What?"

The two sisters grew silent as Emma drank in the news.

"Well, you two aren't together. I mean, you're not, right?"

"No, we're not together. He's just a flirt, that's all." Amy stated, and for some reason her heart wrenched painfully when she said it.

"Okay, that's good. As long as you two are just friends, we've got nothing to worry about-"

A loud chime from Amy's phone cut her sister off. Glancing from Emerald to her phone, Amethyst lunged forward and made a wild swipe for the cellphone, but her sister sprinted to the other side of the room before opening the text.

❤️ **The White Knight** ❤️ **: Hey princess, I get out of jousting practice early today. Would you do me the honor of accompanying me to lunch later?**

Distracted by the text, Emma didn't hear her sister creeping up behind her. In the blink of an eye, Amy snatched away the cellphone and hastily read the message. A small smile graced her lips as a feeling of warmth filled her chest.

 **Amy: I would love too. Where do you want to go? I'll meet you there.**

❤️ **The White Knight** ❤️ **: Hmm...There's a new cafe called Ulga's that just opened up in town. The food is supposed to be really good. I'll meet you there around eleven thirty, okay?**

 **Amy: Okay. Sounds good.**

❤️ **The White Knight** ❤️ **: See you later, my princess.**

Amy's heart fluttered, a small smile creeping onto her lips. However, the moment was quickly ruined by Emma as she peered over her sister's shoulder.

"You can't go." she stated flatly.

Amy frowned at her. "Excuse me? Why not?"

"Because Dad will flip, Amy! He's already upset with you for fighting with Jumin! If he finds out you went to lunch with some random actor, he'll completely lose it!"

"Then I won't tell him Zen's an actor. I'll just say he's an associate of Jumin's."

"Yeah, and when he finds out you lied to him, he'll be even angrier."

"I wouldn't be lying. I just wouldn't be telling him the whole truth."

"Potato, potahto. They're the same thing, Amy."

Amy rolled her eyes and headed over to her walk-in closet. "Look Emma, I'm going whether you like it or not. If you're planning on just standing there and continuing to argue with me, please leave and stop wasting my time. I need to get ready."

"Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you though." Emerald stated flatly before exiting her sister's bedroom.

* * *

Amethyst bit her lip as she stood staring at the door to her father's office. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she timidly knocked on the dark oak and waited patiently for her father to acknowledge her.

"Come in."

Opening the door, Amy hastily hurried over to her father's desk and stood quietly, waiting. Amy's father, Chul Hall, sat watching the news on the flatscreen tv mounted on the wall opposite of his desk, his lips curved into their usual frown as his hand rested on his chin. For a few minutes, not a sound filled the room other than the chatter of the bubbly meteorologist on the screen presenting the forecast for the next for the next few days; then Amy's dad finally turned to her, clearing his throat.

"Have you come to apologize for your behavior towards Jumin yesterday?" he asked sternly, his dark eyes staring at her from amongst the wrinkles lining his face.

Amy hung her head like she felt guilty and nodded slowly. "Yes father. I ask for your and Mr. Han's forgiveness regarding what happened."

"You are very lucky that Jumin's father is a forgiving man. He has already agreed to overlook your actions if you join Jumin for dinner later this week; I've already accepted the invitation on your behalf."

 _"Of course you did."_ Amy sighed internally.

"I am deeply sorry, father. Is there some way I can make it up to you?" she continued.

"Yes, you can stop acting like a brat and start being a little more cooperative. A partnership with Mr. Han's company would be good for us and would ensure the survival of our family's business. Jumin's father has already deemed you a worthy suitor for his son, so now all that is left for you to earn Jumin's affection so he asks for your hand and inherits my company as your husband. That is your purpose in life; you know that right, Amethyst?" Mr. Hall lectured his daugher.

Amy bit her lip to keep from spitting a not-so-ladylike comment at her father.

"Yes father." she replied instead, her voice wavering slightly as she struggled to suppress the intense amount of anger she was feeling in that moment.

"Good, then I expect you to win Jumin's heart and become engaged to him before the year is up." Mr. Hall stated. However, as he reached to grab his laptop from the corner of his desk, the purse hanging off of Amy's arm caught his eye.

"You are going out?" he said somewhat suspiciously.

"Oh yes. I'm actually going to meet with an associate of Jumin's that I met at the RFA party last night, that is if you'll me leave. Can I, Daddy?" Amethyst purred, batting her eyelashes. She only ever called her father "Daddy" when she was kissing up to him, and so far, it had yet to fail at winning her father over. To her delight, the older man sighed in surrender and reached into the pocket of his suit jacket.

"I shall call you once every hour to check on you. If you do not answer immediately, I will send my bodyguards to pick you up and escort you home. Be back here no later than 15:00 on the dot." he said as he slid the car keys across his desk.

"Yes father. Thank you." Amy said, bowing humbly before taking the keys and exiting the dark, stuffy office room. As soon as she closed the door, her lips curved into a huge grin. Hurrying out of her house and into her family's large garage, she pulled out her phone as she got into the car.

 **Amy: I'm on my way. See you in a bit!**

* * *

As she stepped into the restaurant, Amy immediately scanned the crowd for that familiar mop of silver hair. Suddenly, however, a pair of hands covered her eyes, causing her to jump.

"Guess who?" A familiar voice cooed.

Amy's shoulders slowly relaxed and she pulled away with a huff. "Zen, don't scare me like that-What are you wearing?"

Zen blushed as he adjusted his sunglasses and ran his fingers through the black wig he was wearing. "A disguise of course. If I looked like myself, we would be drowning in a sea of fangirls. That would hardly make for an ideal first date, now would it?"

Amy frowned. "This isn't a date, Zen."

"Sure it isn't. Let's grab a table before this place gets too crowded."

Before Amy could respond to the cocky actor's statement, she was being dragged over to the hostess station, where a bubbly young ginger stood with two menus in her hand waiting for the couple. The duo was sat in a rather cozy booth at the back of the restaurant, a low, hanging light bathing them in its warm yellow rays. Smiling, Zen wrapped an arm around Amy's shoulders, causing her to raise a suspicious eyebrow.

"What? Am I doing something wrong?" the actor asked, feigning innocence.

Amy rolled her eyes, but a small smile had crept its way onto her face.

"You're such a dork." she mumbled.

"But I'm a hot dork, right?"

"I'm not answering that." Amy mumbled, turning away as Zen laughed. For some reason, her cheeks started to turn pink.

 _"Why am I blushing? I...I feel weird! I don't like it but I do at the same time! What is this guy doing to me? Am I getting sick?"_

Zen's laughter slowly died when he noticed Amy wasn't looking at him, and his lips curved downward into a worried frown.

"Amy, are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, I'm fine." the woman lied, turning back to him with a smile. "I was just...lost in thought..."

"I see...My amazingness is so great that it sent you into a daze. How selfish of me to not be careful around you! I will try to reign in my awesomeness for the sake of your mental sanity, Amy." Zen cooed, smirking as she laughed at him.

"You're a real piece of work, Zen."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Just as Amy was about to respond, a tall waitress with a long, dark ebony ponytail that hung down to her waist strutted up to them with a pencil in her hand.

"Hello, my name is Sora and I'll be your waitress today. Can I get you something to drink to start off your meal?" she asked in a bored, monotone voice.

Zen flashed the girl a smile. "I'll take a Cherry Coke please."

When she heard Zen's voice, the waitress frowned and raised an eyebrow. Immediately, the actor's stomach dropped. She didn't recognize him, did she?

"Is something the matter?" he asked, forcing his voice not to waver.

"No, it's just that your voice sounds rather familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?" Sora replied thoughtfully.

"Uh, no I don't believe so."

"Hmm..."

Although she didn't look convinced by Zen's story, the waitress turned to Amy and continued the order. "And for you, Miss?"

"Just water for me, thank you." Amy replied with a smile.

"You want a lemon wedge with that?"

"Yes please."

"Alright. Can I get an appetizer for you two?"

Before Amy could decline, Zen spoke up. "I've heard about your Snackeez, I believe that's what they are called, are absolutely delicious, so if we could start with a round of those, that would be lovely."

"Alright, I'll be right back with your drink and a basket of Snackeez for you." Sora stated. As she walked away, Amy heard her mumbled aloud to herself. "His voice is really familiar..."

"Zen, should we be worried?" she whispered.

"I don't think so. As long as she can't place my voice, we're fine. I should've thought beforehand to talk in an accent though. I'll have to remember that for next time."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Next time?"

"Yeah, I was hoping we could do this on a regular basis from now on. Don't worry, I'll pay all expenses for today and every other one." Zen said with a smile.

"Zen, I can't let you do that! You work hard to earn that money; squandering it on a spoiled rich girl like me is a waste of your efforts." Amy protested.

"Spoiled huh? You don't act very spoiled." Zen mused.

"Well, you haven't seen me upset yet." Amy joked, earning a chuckle from the actor.

"Still, can we do this often? It's fun hanging out with you. I'm oddly comfortable around you, a sensation I generally don't feel anywhere other than within the confines of my own home. I want to talk to you more, and not just over the phone. Please, Amy?" Zen purred, his voice as soft and slick as silk.

Amy felt her face heat up again. For some reason, she wanted more than anything to say yes, but as she thought about it, she realized she couldn't.

"I'm sorry, Zen; I can't. My dad would get suspicious and start jumping to conclusions. He would flip his lid if he thought I was seeing someone who isn't a wealthy businessman."

Zen frowned. "Well, he let you come and meet with me today, didn't he?"

"That's only because I told him you were an accomplice of Jumin's. I didn't tell him anything else about you."

"Oh." Zen's face fell, and Amy immediately regretted what she had said as a pool of guilt bubbled in her stomach.

"I really wanted to come see you again, Zen, but I knew if he knew the truth about you, he wouldn't have let me come. Please don't be upset." Amy pleaded, taking his large hand into her small one and squeezing it.

Zen glanced down at his and Amy's intertwined hands, and a smile crept onto his lips once more. "I'm not upset. I just can't help but feel guilty over the fact that you could get in trouble because of me. I don't want to cause problems for my lovely princess."

"Oh Zen, don't worry about it. I know how to spin a good tall tale or two. Don't feel guilty." Amy cooed and flashed the actor a wink.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

A few seconds later, the waitress returned with the pair's drinks and appetizer. "Can I take your order now so it'll be done by the time you're appetizer is finished?"

"Sure! Amy darling, why don't you go first?" Zen said.

Amy's face turned bright red at Zen's words. "I-I'm honestly fine with just the appetizer."

Zen frowned again. "Nonsense, you need to eat. Sora, we'll each have a Greek salad with the dressing and cheese on the side as well as chicken on top."

"Alright, two Greek salads with chicken on top and dressing and cheese on the side coming right up."

As soon as Sora walked away, Amy turned to Zen and flashed him a disapproving scowl. "What the heck was that?"

"You need to eat, Amy. Skipping meals is bad for your health." Zen stated firmly.

"I'm not skipping a meal! I just figured the appetizer would be enough calories. I can't afford to put on any weight. My dad will get mad and lecture me on how my girlish figure is an asset to his company and that I need to be careful with it." Amy stated.

"The more I hear about your dad, the less I like him. There's nothing wrong with indulging yourself every once in awhile. And so what if you gain a pound or two? You're so pretty and no one would be able to tell anyways." Zen stated sternly, looking Amy in the eyes. "Also, your body is yours, not his. It is not his property nor a tool for his company."

"He certainly seems to think so."

"Then he is a jerk, along with many other names that I will not say because you are a lady and I do not wish to soil your ears with putrid language. Still, it angers me greatly that he treats you like an object rather than his daughter. He is a cruel dragon indeed; once I have trained further and sharpened my skills enough, I will steal you away from him and take you someplace safe."

The corners of Amy's mouth curved upward into a smile. "Thank you, great knight. You are very kind to take pity on me and offer your assistance."

"It is no problem, milady. I cannot just leave a lady such as yourself at the mercy of such a beast; it would be improper of me."

Amy giggled softly as she nibbled on one of the special crackers the waitress had brought out. "Wow, these are good!"

Zen smiled and before the girl beside him knew what was happening he bent his head down and took a large bite out of the Snackee in her hand, chewing it slowly. "You're right, it's delicious."

"Hey, that was mine. Now you've got your narcissist cooties all over it!" Amy exclaimed.

"Cooties? Are we going back to kindergarten now?" Zen teased, earning a halfhearted smack upside the face.

"Dork."

Before long, Sora returned with the salads and placed them in front of the duo. While they ate, Zen stared thoughtfully into the distance as he chewed.

"Amy," he said suddenly, "what if I pretended to be a wealthy business owner like Jumin? I could use this disguise so your dad wouldn't recognize me; he would never know the difference."

"He would ask questions, as well as do research on you to make sure you would actually benefit his company. It wouldn't work, Zen, and besides, he has pretty much decided who he wants me to marry." Amy sighed sadly.

Zen's eyes narrowed. "And who would that be?"

"He wants me to marry Jumin."

Zen nearly choked on a mouthful of salad. He stared down at the beautiful woman next to him with a mixture of shock, horror, and disgust on his face. "He wants you to marry Jumin?!"

Amy nodded solemnly. "As of late, my dad has become obsessed with the idea of Jumin becoming the heir to his company. He wants me to marry Jumin and secure his future as my dad's successor."

"That hardly seems fair. Why doesn't your dad just give you or one of his other children the company?" Zen asked.

"Well, you see, my dad is quite old fashioned, and as such, he deems it improper for women to do many things, including own a business. Given that his only children are my sister and I, that leaves him no one to give the company to. His older values also are what lead him to believe using me as a bargaining chip and marrying me off to someone for his own benefit as acceptable."

"That's a load of crap. Ugh, your dad really ticks me off!" Zen huffed, rather aggressively stabbing an olive with one of his chopsticks. "You're not actually going to go along with his plan, are you?"

"I don't really have a choice. I can only resist for so long without angering him and making him do something rash."

"Well, you're what, twenty-one or twenty-twoish? That means you're probably almost done with college, right? After college, you can get a job and move out, can't you? Then you can finally be free. I'll even help you if you would like!"

"Oh Zen, you don't have to do that."

"But I want to. I want to see you happy, Amy. I will pay whatever price is necessary for you to smile."

"Zen...thank you. I don't know what to say."

"Say you'll have lunch with me again sometime this week."

"I'll think about it." Amy purred playfully, causing Zen to smile.

Once they finished eating and Zen had paid the bill, the two got out of their seats and headed outside into the parking lot. When they reached Amy's car, Zen suddenly grabbed her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.

"I bid you ado, my princess. I hope to see you again soon. I shall send you more messages of love with my virtual carrier pigeon tonight. Until then, good day."

Amy's face was the color of a tomato as Zen walked away. Hastily getting into her car, she inserted the key and turned on the engine only to sit in her seat and stare absently into the distance as her mind wandered.

 _"Why do I feel so weird? My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest, and I've blushed more times today than I have in the past year. What is going on with me?"_

A loud knocking on the passenger side window suddenly shook her from her thoughts. Looking up, Amy gasped when she saw none of than her sister peering at her through the glass, a disapproving scowl on her face.

"Emerald, what are you doing here?! How did you even get here?!"

"I snuck into the trunk while you were asking for the keys, but that's not what's important right now. We need to talk, Amethyst. Let me in."

In truth, Amy really wanted to drive away and leave her sister in the restaurant's parking lot, but she knew that her father would be furious with her if she did so. With a reluctant sigh, she unlocked the passenger side door and watched numbly as her sister climbed into the seat beside her. Immediately, the blonde pulled out her phone and held it in front of her sister's face. Displayed on the screen was a picture of Amy and Zen in the restaurant, holding hands and looking into each other's eyes.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, sis. Start talking." Emma stated flatly.

"You were spying on me?!" Amethyst exclaimed angrily.

"I was looking out for your best interest, Amy. You know this will end badly. Sooner or later, Dad will figure out the truth and you'll be in big trouble. What if when he goes to ground you and take all your stuff he finds your school books or your notebook? Do you want that, Amy? Do you want him to explode?"

"Of course not! There's nothing going on between me and Zen, Emma. He's just a friend, that's all."

"The pictures I took say differently."

"He's a goofy flirt, Em."

"There's nothing actually going on between you?"

"No!"

Emma didn't look convinced, but she didn't carry the argument on further. Sitting back in her chair, she slid her phone into her pocket and put on her seatbelt.

"I hope you realize I'm only doing this to try and protect you, right? You're my older sister and I don't want to see you get into trouble."

Amy said nothing as she buckled her own seatbelt and grabbed the gear shift. Silently, she pulled out of the parking space and drove home, not even glancing at her sister for a moment. Emma squirmed in her seat, the tension in the car making her uncomfortable. Not a word was said as the two drove home, and before long, they had pulled into the family's garage. After turning off the car, Amy tossed the keys at her sister, making her flinch.

"Give those back to dad. I've got a headache so I'm going to go lay down." she said curtly as she got out of the car. Ignoring her sister as she called her name, Amy stormed into the house, up the mansion's main grand staircase, and into her room, slamming the door shut behind her. Flopping onto the bed, she screamed into her pillow, her nails digging into its plush body. Just as she ran out of breath, her phone vibrated in her pocket. Taking it out, she looked at the screen to see who had texted her, and when she saw a familiar name staring up at her, she managed a weak smile.

❤️ **The White Knight** ❤️ **: Hey princess, I know things are hard right now, but you'll escape the dragon some day soon. You just have to keep holding on until then, okay? If you need help or support, I'm here for you. I can't wait to see you again, my darling. Just stay strong and whatever you do, don't get engaged to that trust fund kid while we're apart, understand? Alright, I have to go. Have a good day, my darling.**


	4. Dinner with Prince Not-So-Charming

A sigh escaped Amy's lips as she slipped on the new dress her father had bought for her. Tonight was the night of her dinner date with Jumin and his father, and she was dreading it to say the least. After zipping up the back of the dress, she turned around to face her full-length mirror only to scowl in disgust at her reflection. The black, silky cocktail dress clung to every little curve in her body, its short skirt and plunging neckline leaving little to the imagination. Turning back to her closet, she grabbed a simple silver shawl and shoved it into her purse just as her bedroom door opened. Turning around, she was relieved to see it was only her sister who had come to pay her a visit.

"You look nice." Emma commented, flashing her a weak, sympathetic smile.

"You know, normally fathers try to dress their daughters in more clothing rather than less. I look like I should be clubbing somewhere, not going to dinner with two businessmen." Amy grumbled as she slid her feet into the sparkly silver stiletto heels that her father had also purchased for her, wavering slightly as she tried to walk on the overglorified stilts. Stumbling over to her vanity, she sat down and began to apply her makeup when she noticed her sister had moved to stand behind her. "Can I help you?"

Emma said nothing as she pulled something out of her pocket and gingerly placed it around her sister's neck, securing it in place with a clasp. The humble yet elegant heart-shaped necklace went perfectly with Amy's other jewelry, and despite being metal, it was surprisingly warm to the touch.

"What is this?" Amy asked in confusion.

"It's a necklace Mom bought for me a few months before she and dad split. She claimed it was lucky. I figured you could use some luck tonight." Emma replied as she played her sister's snowy, silky waves.

"Emma...Thank you." Amy said as she gently ran her finger over the lone charm on the necklace. Immediately, she felt like her mother was beside her, comforting her, giving her strength. Getting up, she wrapped her sister in a tight hug and buried her face into the top of the girl's head. A few tears started to slip down her cheeks, but she hastily blinked away the rest before her perfect cat eyes were ruined.

"I really don't want to do this, Em. Why do I have to do this? Is this really my role in life? Why can't I fall in love with a man of my own choice? Why do I have to seduce and marry someone I don't love?" she whispered, her lip quivering slightly as she spoke.

Emma sighed and rubbed her sister's back comfortingly. "I'm sorry, Amethyst. None of this is fair but there's nothing we can do about it. We just have to do our best to make Dad happy and hope that along the way we can find some small scrap of happiness for ourselves too. Who knows, Jumin could probably help your writing career take off."

Amy felt her heart sink at her sister's words. What had she expected? As much as she hated their situation, Emma was too afraid of their father to stand up for herself and instead submitted to his biased demands. She had been foolish to think she might say anything otherwise.

"I have to finish getting ready." she said softly, stiffly pulling out of her sister's embrace and returning to the seat in front of her vanity. Glancing up at the mirror once more, she immediately noticed her sister's hurt face in the reflection and felt a tad of guilt tug at her heart but she quickly brushed it off.

"Since I'll be gone tonight, Dad will be far more likely to notice any suspicious behavior from you so be careful if you try doing your studies." she continued as she grabbed her flat iron and plugged it into the electricity socket on the wall.

"I will; thanks for the warning." Emerald replied glumly as she headed for the door. Just as her fingers grazed the cool metal of the doorknob, she paused and glanced over her shoulder at her sister.

"Amy, please behave tonight, for your own sake." she said before slipping quietly out of the room.

Amy sighed wearily and placed her head in her hands as the regret began to seep in. Looking at herself in the mirror only worsened her mood; she looked like some tramp looking for her next boy toy, not the daughter of a wealthy Korean businessman. Her flat iron suddenly gave a loud beep, signaling that it had reached the required temperature, but Amy was so lost in thought that when she reached for it, she accidentally grabbed the hot end, burning her hand. Yelping in pain, she dropped the iron back onto her vanity and hurried into her private bathroom, turning on the faucet of her sink and sticking her hand under the cool rushing water. Suddenly, her phone began to go off, causing her to groan as she sprinted to grab it off of the vanity before returning to the bathroom. Hitting the answer button, she held the device to her ear with her free hand whilst returning the other to its place in the sink.

"Hello?" she said, half-expecting to hear her father's voice scolding at her for not being ready yet.

"Good evening, my darling damsel. How fares thee?" Zen's voice purred through the phone.

Amy sighed in relief, a small smile gracing her lips. "Terrible. I grabbed my flat iron by the wrong end and burned my hand."

"Ouch! You poor thing! Are you running cold water over it?"

"Yep. Honestly, just talking to you is making me feel better already."

"Glad I'm able to assist. I wish I was there in person though so I could kiss it better."

"I would slap you if you tried." Amy teased.

"You're so cruel, my lady. Perhaps I could warm your heart with a fancy dinner at a nearby castle later tonight?"

"That's sounds wonderful, but I can't. I have already been called to the C&R royal palace tonight." Amy sighed.

Zen grew unusually silent.

"That's tonight? How...unfortunate. I was looking forward to another evening with you." he finally answered, and Amy immediately noticed he did in fact sound quite sad.

"If it's any comfort, I would much rather dine with you, my knight." she cooed softly, hoping to cheer him up.

"That does offer me some consolation. You do not plan to fall for that cold, pompous prince, do you?"

"No but my resistance must be extremely subtle to avoid angering the dragon."

"I wish I could help, my princess. I wish I could whisk you away to a far away land where you could be happy."

"That's very kind of you. I need to go though. I have to finish getting ready."

"Very well. I give you my blessing, my fair lady. May no harm come to you this night."

"Thank you, Zen. Goodbye." Amy said and hung up the phone before turning off the water, drying her hand, and returning to her vanity.

* * *

An uneasy silence hung over the room as Jumin, Mr. Han, and Amy all sat around the large dining room table. As the fire in the fireplace crackled, Amy once again poked at the steak in front of her with her fork, causing Mr. Han to frown.

"Is something wrong with your steak, Amy? Is it not prepared to your liking? Or are you perhaps a vegetarian? How inconsiderate of me not to think of something like that-"

"The steak is fine, Chairman Han. I'm just not very hungry." Amy said, offering the older man a rather fake smile.

"Are you not feeling well, dear? We can always reschedule. The last thing we need is you overexerting yourself when you're ill and making the sickness worse." Mr. Han said.

The offer sounded extremely appealing; in fact, it was better than anything Amy could've hoped for. She could end this awful evening early without getting in trouble for making a scene, but deep down, she knew her father would see right past her little facade and would likely punish her anyways for taking advantage of Mr. Han's concern for her health.

"I'm fine, Chairman Han, I promise. Thank you for your concern." she purred sweetly, nearly gagging on every sickening, artificially flavored, sugary word as it left her mouth.

"Oh, you don't need to call me Chairman, dear. Mr. Han is just fine. There's no need for such formalities; after all, we're practically like family now with your father and I being so close."

Amy and Jumin both visibly tensed up and shot each other uncomfortable glances. Sensing the awkwardness, Mr. Han decided to try and break the mountain of ice standing between the two youths.

"So, Amy, what are some of your interests? Perhaps you and Jumin are into similar things."

"I highly doubt that." Amy thought to herself but she didn't dare say anything aloud. "I can't mention my writing or school though or I risk Dad finding out. Hmm, what's a safe topic..."

"I like music." she replied uncertainly. Mr. Han's eyes lit up.

"Ah, music! How nice. Jumin, you like music, don't you?"

"Only a few types." Jumin said coldly, his eyes fixed on his phone.

"Well, what types of music do you like Amy?" Mr. Han continued after shooting his son a disapproving look.

"Um, I generally like a little bit of everything, but my favorite type of music would has to be musical soundtracks."

"How interesting. Jumin, don't you have a friend who performs in musicals?"

"We're more of acquaintances than friends and I would prefer not to talk about him." Jumin stated flatly as he set aside his phone.

Mr. Han's frown deepened as Amy squirmed awkwardly in her seat.

"Jumin, don't you think Amy looks pretty in that dress?" he said sternly.

Jumin briefly glanced up from his steak to look at the young woman seated across from him and then returned his gaze to his meal. "Her outfit choice is...unique. Where did you find such a dress, Amy?"

As she continued to smile, Amy gripped the sides of her chair as she resisted the urge to strangle the pompous man.

"I'm not sure; it was a gift." she cooed icily, glaring daggers at Jumin. If he noticed, he didn't show it.

"Hmm, I see." he replied. It seemed he was about to say more but then quickly decided against it and resumed looking at his phone.

"Jumin, may I speak with you outside for a moment?" Mr. Han said, a slight growl to his voice.

"Of course. Please excuse us, Amy."

As the two men left the room, Amy released the sigh she had been holding in and allowed herself to slouch back in her chair. Suddenly, her phone started vibrating so she pulled it out and read the newest text from none other than Zen.

 ** _❤The White Knight❤: Hey, how's it going? Want me to swoop in and save you yet?_**

A soft laugh escaped Amy's lips.

 ** _Amy: I wish you could but the dragon would catch you for sure._**

 ** _❤The White Knight❤: I'm not afraid of any dragon._**

 ** _Amy: Well, I am and I would like to stay off of his bad side for awhile._**

 ** _❤The White Knight❤: Very well. However, do you need a ride home by chance?_**

 ** _Amy: I don't know yet. Why do you ask?_**

 ** _❤The White Knight❤: Text me if you need one and I'll give you a ride home._**

 ** _Amy: Zen...that's sweet of you but my dad find it pretty suspicious if I come home with another guy._**

 ** _❤The White Knight❤: Don't worry. I've got everything covered, I promise. Just let me know, okay?_**

 ** _Amy:...Alright, just don't do anything crazy._**

 ** _❤The White Knight❤: No promises ;)_**

Hearing the door open, Amy glanced up to see Mr. Han enter the room once more, looking a little frazzled.

"Is something the matter, Cha - Mr. Han? Where's Jumin?" she asked.

"Ah, he had to leave for a meeting, my dear. He's working on another project regarding that dumb cat of his. I'm afraid he'll have to take a rain check on this little date. I apologize for all this."

"Oh, it's alright. We can always reschedule." Amy cooed while silently celebrating her early release from the torturous evening.

"I shall have to. Next time, I'll make sure you have Jumin's undivided attention. Do you need a ride home?"

"I...I actually already have a ride. Thank you though."

"Alright, I'll have one of my bodyguards escort you out once your ride arrives. Again, I am deeply sorry about this. Goodnight, Miss Hall." Chairman Han said and hurried from the room.

Glancing back down at her phone, Amy's fingers flew as she typed out another message and sent it.

 ** _Amy: Hey, I need that ride._**

 ** _❤The White Knight❤: I'll be there in five minutes. Sit tight._**

* * *

Amy's jaw dropped as her ride pulled up and Zen got out, waving to her.

"Zen, I thought I told you not to do anything crazy!" she exclaimed as she stared in shock at the sleek, black limousine .

"And I told you no promises." Zen chuckled in reply, shooing Mr. Han's bodyguards and helping Amy into the limo before climbing in beside her. Shutting the door, he signaled for the driver to go and then leaned back in his seat. Glancing at Amy, his face turned red when he noticed her outfit. Amy felt herself blushing as well and wrapped her shawl a little tighter around her body but the sheer fabric didn't do much. Biting his lip, Zen hastily shrugged off his own jacket and held it out for Amy to take, all the while staring out the window and refusing to look at her. Chuckling at his obvious embarrassment, Amy gingerly took the coat and slid it on, zipping it shut and relishing in its warmth.

"You can look now." she giggled, smiling at the flustered actor seated beside her.

After quickly glancing over his shoulder to make sure she wasn't playing with him, Zen turned back around and hung his head bashfully.

"Sorry, it's just, I didn't want to look at you like you were some piece of eye candy or meat, but I'm a guy so I worried if I looked I would-"

"Zen, you can stop babbling. I didn't take it the wrong way, I promise." Amy replied, touched by her friend's attempts to respect her.

"Oh, g-good. You do look very pretty, though I would've like the outfit better if it covered more. Not to say your body isn't pretty; it is. I mean, I'm assuming it is; I don't know because I purposely didn't look but I'm sure you're very-"

"Zen, calm down. I'm not offended or anything. It's okay." Amy laughed, giving the actor's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Zen's blush darkened. "S-Sorry, I don't know what wrong with me today."

"There's no need to apologize, Zen. I'm actually touched by your desire to treat me like a person and not an object; very few men share that same mindset these days. I honestly needed a little bit of kindness after this trainwreck of an evening." Amy said.

"It was that bad, huh? Jumin didn't do anything inappropriate, did he?"

"Unless you count staring at his phone the entire evening, no he didn't. I honestly talked more with his father than him."

Zen's lips curved into a deep scowl of disgust. "Ugh, that bastard. Even if I didn't want him flirting with you, he should have at least shown you some respect. For the son of a wealthy businessman, his manners suck."

Amy giggled at Zen's remarked. Yawning, she laid her head on the actor's shoulder, causing him to tense up again.

"Thank you so much for coming to get me, Zen. I was honestly afraid that if I stayed a second longer Mr. Han would start hitting on me. The very thought makes my skin crawl." she purred, closing her eyes.

"I-I'm glad I could be of assistance, my lady. However, you shouldn't close your eyes yet. I don't think your father would react well to finding a strange man standing on his porch while carrying his sleeping daughter in his arms."

"No, I suppose he wouldn't. So, why did you get a limo?"

"Well, aside from wanting to treat you like the star you are, I figured that driving you home in a limo would help sell the illusion that I'm some wealthy business friend of Jumin's so you wouldn't get in trouble. I've barely known you for a full week yet I can't stand the thought of you getting in trouble and me being the cause."

"Zen, you're very sweet but oh so corny at the same time."

"Thank you. I'll take that as a compliment."

Smiling and shaking her head, Amy looked up to see the limo pulling up beside the main gate of her home. Sighing she unzipped Zen's jacket and slipped it off before sliding out of the car.

"Thanks again for doing this, Zen. Goodnight."

"Wait! Aren't you forgetting something?"

Amy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion till Zen grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Goodnight, my fair maiden. I shall see you again soon in the realm of dreams." he whispered then shut the door.

As the limousine drove away, Amy placed her hands against her chest and felt her heartbeat racing so fast it was about to shoot out of her body.

 _"What is this feeling? I don't know why but I kind of like it. I feel...good, happy even. Why am I feeling this way? What triggered it? Was it Zen? It couldn't have been him...could it? How can he make me feel so much better after such an awful evening? He really must be a wizard as well as a knight."_

Smiling to herself, Amy turned and strolled through the front gate to her family's property, holding her head up higher than she had in a long time as the mysterious magic Zen had cast upon her coursed through her beings and gave her this warm, bubbly feeling inside her chest. By now, her date with Jumin seemed like no more than a bad dream.

 **((Okay, I am going to make something perfectly clear before people start complaining in the comments. I do NOT hate Jumin. In fact, he is my second favorite character in the game. I merely showed him in a bit of a bad light to represent how Amy interpreted the situation. For you Jumin fans out there, I am actually hoping to write a sequel to this with another OC made specially for Jumin. Alright, just had to get that off my chest before people started calling me a bully or something like that. Have a good evening everyone. Toodles!))**


	5. Royal Refugee

Yawning, Amy briefly set down her computer to stretch and glance at her clock. It read two thirty in the morning.

 _"Is it really that late? It feels like I just got back."_ she thought to herself. After returning home from Chairman Han's residence, Amethyst had glanced at her computer to find out she had a test tomorrow that she completely forgot to study for so she had been sitting in her room studying since then, running on coffee alone as she scanned page after page of her notes and tried for hours to memorize everything.

 _"It would be alright if I went to bed now, right? I mean, I'm sure I'll pass at least and that's what matters, right? Right."_

Shutting her laptop, Amy slid it under her bed and turned off her bedside lamp. However, after staring up at the ceiling for several minutes and not being overcome by sleep, she sat up turned the light back on before slipping her notebook and pen out from underneath her pillow.

Outside her window, a storm raged, its ominous thunder shaking the whole house as if it was trying to get Amy's attention so it could warn her about something. However, she paid it no mind and instead continued to scribble away in her book. She was so engrossed in her characters' dialogue that she didn't hear the stomping of angry feet nor her sister's desperate pleas echoing through the hall outside of her room. It was only when her bedroom door was thrown open and she saw the seething rage in her father's eyes that Amy realized something was wrong. Hastily shoving the notebook underneath her covers, she threw on a mask of innocence as her father stormed towards her.

"Father, what's wro-" she started to ask but her voice broke off when her father slapped her across the face with such great much force that she fell off the bed.

"You wicked child! You wicked, wicked girl! You have tried to make a fool of me, have you?! Do you take me for an idiot?! A moron?! Did you really think I wouldn't find out?!" he screamed at her, his face red with anger and his body trembling with boiling rage.

Amy shrank back in fright, cupping her throbbing cheek in her hand. "W-What are you talking about?"

"Don't lie to me, Amethyst! I know where you really went when you asked if you could have lunch with one of Jumin's 'associates.' You went to go and get cozy with some overly optimistic bum who wouldn't know what real work is even if it hit him in the face! You deceived me!"

"Zen is an accomplice of Jumin's, father; he is part of the RFA! He also is an extremely talented actor who works really hard at his job!" Amy protested, earning herself another smack. Now both of her cheeks stung.

"You dare talk back to me, you little brat! Who do you think you are? You're nothing, Amethyst! Without me and my company, you have no value in this world!"

"You're wrong! Zen sees value in me! He sees me as more than a tool or a bargaining chip! He sees me as a person and-"

"ENOUGH! I FORBID YOU FROM SEEING THIS MAN AGAIN! YOU ARE HEREBY CONFINED TO THIS HOUSE WITH NO CONTACT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! I AM CALLING CHAIRMAN HAN RIGHT NOW AND ARRANGING FOR YOUR MARRIAGE TO JUMIN TO TAKE PLACE WITHIN THIS MONTH!" Mr. Hall roared.

"Dad, please no! What Amy did was wrong, there's no debate about that, but you can't force her to marry Jumin!" Emma exclaimed as she ran into the room.

Mr. Hall's eyes narrowed angrily. "Oh I can't, can I?"

Emma flinched at his menacing tone and hastily reworded her previous statement. "I mean, you can but you shouldn't."

"Emerald, return to your room and stay out of this." her father growled.

"But-"

"GO TO YOUR ROOM, EMERALD!"

Frightened, Emma scampered out of the room, leaving Amy to face her father on her own.

"How dare you do this to me. What have I not given you that your heart desires, you spoiled child?! I have given you and comfortable life, and I'm trying to establish a secure future for you but you want to just throw it all away for some punk who doesn't know if he'll have work the next day!"

Something inside Amy snapped when her father said those words, and before she could stop it, all the anger, frustration, and hurt she had been concealing burst forth like a mighty flood.

"You are just trying to establish a secure future for yourself! You care about me and whether or not I'm happy! All you care about is someone carrying on your stupid company, which I could easily do for you if you weren't so demeaning and sexist! I am more than a piece of property or an accessory to be flaunted at others to make them jealous! I am a person, Dad, a person with dreams and hopes and needs like love! The fact that you can't seem to understand that is exactly why Mom left!"

Deathly silence fell over the room as Amy realized what she had said and hastily covered her mouth. As her father approached her, she started to back away and tried to lunge for her phone, but he hastily grabbed her wrist and shoved her onto her bed.

"HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE YOU BRING YOUR MOTHER INTO THIS! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO MENTION HER TO ME, YOU LITTLE WENCH!" he bellowed as he slapped her some more. By now, Amy had started to cry as she flailed about in his grasp but he held her firmly in place.

"Dad, stop! You're hurting me!" she exclaimed as tears rained down her cheeks.

"Quit fighting me, Amethyst! You can't escape your fate! You are my present to Jumin Han in return for his aid in ensuring my future and the future of my company and there's nothing you can-"

Mr. Hall was cut off by a loud beep from his daughter's computer. Scowling, he picked it up and opened it, his eyes scanning the contents of the page. Amy's blood turned to ice when she saw him clench his jaw. To her horror, she watched as her father threw the laptop across the room and into a wall, where it shattered into pieces.

"You were going to school, Amethyst?! Behind my back?! After I told you not to?! You wicked girl; you're worse than your mother ever was! What else have you been hiding from me?!" Mr. Hall shouted.

Instinctively, Amy's eyes glanced at her notebook. Following her gaze, Mr. Hall hastily snatched up the book and opened it, reading through it. His lips curled back in disgust.

"What is this? A play? You wrote a play?" he growled.

Amy didn't answer.

"You go behind my back and go to school but you don't even pick a useful degree! You are nothing but a waste, Amethyst!" he snarled as he took the book and walked over to the lit fireplace blazing in the girl's room. Amy's eyes widened in horror when she realized what he was planning to do.

"Daddy, please don't. I'm sorry. I'll marry Jumin. I won't cause any more trouble. Please just don't do this." she whimpered.

"Sorry isn't enough, Amethyst. You have defied me and now I must punish you to ensure that such an offense never happens again." Mr. Hall stated firmly. Holding the book over the blazing fire, he ignored his daughter's desperate screams and dropped it into the open maw of the hungry flames, watching with satisfaction as they consumed every last page and turned it to ash.

Amy stared at the charred remains of her notebook and scattered pieces of her laptop, too devastated to speak. Months of hard work, gone. Her hopes and dreams, crushed in an instant. It all seemed like her worst nightmare but she knew she wasn't dreaming. Shifting her gaze, she locked eyes with her father and one word popped into her mind.

 _"Run."_

In a wild blur, Amy leaped off of her bed and raced out of her room as fast as she could. She ran down dozens of hallways before finally bursting outside into the night. She ran out the front gate of her father's mansion and down the street, the rain soaking her hair and clothes so they clung to her body. Before long, she heard the rev of several engines behind her and glanced over her shoulder to see several of her father's bodyguards pursuing her by car.

 _"Crap. There's no way I can outrun them! What do I do?"_

Scanning the area as she ran, Amy noticed a narrow alleyway nearby and ran down it. Before long, it split into three different alleyways and she instinctively sprinted down the one on the left. Although she had no idea where she was going, her feet and adrenaline seemed to know where to go. When she emerged from the alley, she hastily turned right and ran several blocks then turned left and ran a few more. To her surprise, Amy quickly found herself standing in the same shopping plaza she had gone to with Zen when they went out to eat.

 _"Why did I run here of all places?"_

Looking around, Amy was relieved to see no one else was there and hurried to hide beneath the overhang of one of the buildings. As she leaned against the cold brick and took several deep breaths, the reality of her situation finally started to set in as the adrenaline wore off.

 _"I...I ran away. I ran away and I have no idea where to go. I don't have my phone or money; heck I didn't even grab shoes or a jacket. I'm alone in the rain on the streets in the middle of the night with no way to contact anyone or pay for shelter. I've really done it this time."_

As the chill started to set in, Amy slid to the floor and wrapped her arms around her wet and shivering body before curling up into a ball in hopes of conserving some of her body heat.

 _"Is this how I'm going to die?"_ she wondered. Looking around for some sign of hope, Amy noticed a rather outdated looking phone booth not too far away and behind it was a fountain. Slowly, the gears in her brain started to turn till she formulated an idea. Getting up, she hurried over to the fountain and stuck her hand into the water, pulling out several coins that had been tossed in by children, optimists, and superstitious visitors. After gathering a few handfuls, she slipped into the phone booth and popped in the coins before hastily dialing the number of the one person she felt she could trust.

"Hello?" Zen's voice answered after a few rings.

"Zen…"

"Amy?! I'm surprised. Why aren't you calling me from your number? Is something wrong."

"Zen…" Overcome by another wave of tears, Amy broke down and sobbed into the phone, her body shaking uncontrollably as she leaned against the wall of the booth for support.

"A-Amy?! What's the matter?! Why are you crying?! What happened?! Are you okay?!" Zen exclaimed.

"Zen, I'm in trouble. I need you. I'm using a phone booth in the same shopping center as that Ulga's restaurant we went to. Can you please come get me?"

"O-Of course. I'll be right there! Don't step outside that phone booth and scream as loud as you can if someone tries to get in."

"Okay. Please hurry."

About ten minutes passed after Amy hung up before a taxi came racing into the parking lot and pulled up to the curb. A frazzled looking Zen immediately leaped out of the car, wildly scanning the area before his eyes landed on her. As the two stated at each other, Amy felt herself starting to choke up. Slipping out of the booth, she ran to him as fast as she could and threw herself into his arms, burying her face in his chest and crying even harder than she had before. Zen immediately wrapped his arms protectively around her and helped her into the car. Pulling her onto his lap, he removed his jacket and wrapped it snugly around her as she cuddled against him for warmth. Stroking her soaked hair comfortingly and whispering sweet nothings in her ear, Zen signaled for the driver to start moving once more and began the ride back to his home. As he stared down at Amy, a thousand questions whirled around in his mind like a cyclone. Why was she stranded in a phone booth at night in the middle of a storm? Why was she wearing nothing but soaking wet pajamas? Why were her cheeks swollen and dotted with bruises? He wanted to ask her then and there but he knew it wasn't the appropriate time. As the taxi driver pulled up to the actor's home, Zen pulled out his wallet and began counting out several bills.

"Here's the cash and a bonus for you to stay quiet, understand?" he said as he handed the driver the money along with a $100 tip. The man nodded feverishly and eagerly snatched the money from the actor's had. After guiding Amy out of the car and into the house, Zen turned her around to face him and looked her in the eyes.

"First I'm going to help you get cleaned up, and after that you're going to tell everything that happened, alright? Don't leave any details!"

Amy nodded in understanding, sniffling as she blinked away whatever tears she had left, and allowed Zen to guide her towards his room, squeezing his hand as tightly as she could for fearing of him disappearing and leaving her alone if she let go.

* * *

Zen pressed his lips together in a fine line as Amy finished her story. The two now sat in his living room with Amy wearing a pair of his sweatpants and one of his shirts, wrapped up in the fluffiest blanket he could find, and sipping a cup of warm, soothing tea that he had prepared for her.

"How did your dad find out?" he finally said.

"I-I don't know."

"Does your father know that you're here with me?" he asked in a grave voice.

Amy shook her head. "No. I lost his bodyguards in the alley, and since I don't have my phone there's no way for them to track me."

"Still, he might come here looking for you, and if he finds you, he might try to take you back by force." Zen muttered. Hearing a whimper, he looked up to see Amy's gripping the tea mug tightly as her eyes filled with fear. "I won't let him though. I swear I'll protect you, Amy, no matter what."

"Zen...thank you. I owe you for this." Amy said with a weary smile.

"You owe me nothing. As your knight in shining armor, it is my job to ensure that you're safe." Zen said with a smile. Rising from his chair, he continued, "You should get some sleep now; you've had quite a day. You'll sleep in my room until I fix up the guest bedroom for you."

Amy's eyebrows furrowed curiously. "What about you?"

"I'll sleep on the couch tonight, don't worry."

"What?! I couldn't ask you to do that! You sleep in the bed and I'll sleep on the couch."

"Please Amy, I insist. You're the guest and a lady after all so please let me be a gentleman and give you my bed." Zen persisted, flashing her a dazzling smile that had won him many awards and fangirls alike. When his guest sighed in surrender, he guided her to his room and tucked her in.

"Goodnight, my beautiful gemstone." he whispered before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek. Getting up, he walked out of the room and started to blush as soon as he closed the door. However, he quickly switched back into serious mode and pulled out his phone as he walked back into the living room and flopped down onto the couch. Opening the RFA chatroom, he hastily sent out an alert to Saeyoung and waited patiently for his arrival.

 ** _ZEN, 707_**

 ** _707 has entered the chatroom_**

 ** _707: Hey Zen, what's the big idea? It's almost four in the morning._**

 ** _ZEN: Seven, I know you weren't actually asleep already._**

 ** _707: Your point?_**

 ** _ZEN: Please Seven, I need you to be serious for a moment. I've got a big problem and I need your help!_**

 ** _707: Woah woah, okay! Calm down, Zen. What's the problem?_**

 ** _ZEN: I need you to hack into the local security and traffic cameras and wipe an footage with a certain woman in it._**

 ** _707: This woman wouldn't happen to be the one you've been texting recently, would she?_**

 ** _ZEN: HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT?!_**

 ** _707: I was bored one day and decided to hack your phone for fun. I gotta say, Zen, those texts were really cheesy, even for you._**

 ** _ZEN: SEVEN, I SWEAR I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!_**

 ** _707: If you kill me, I can't erase the security footage of Amy._**

 ** _ZEN: …_**

 ** _ZEN: Fine, you live for today. Do you need a picture of her so you know what she looks like?_**

 ** _707: Nah, I already snitched one off of your phone when I was snooping. Figured it might come in handy eventually. I gotta say, Zen, she's really pretty; perfect for you._**

 ** _ZEN: SEVEN!_**

 ** _707: Hehe, I gotta go get rid of that security footage now and go to bed before MC finds out I'm still awake and scolds me. See ya!_**

 ** _ZEN: SEVEN!_**

 ** _707 has left the chatroom_**

Groaning loudly, Zen pinched the bridge of his nose as he muttered some not-so-nice things about the hacker under his breath.

"I swear he's going to be the death of us all." he grumbled. Setting his phone aside. Grabbing the tv remote, he turned on the tv and started flipping through channels, stopping when a particular news story caught his eye.

"Zen's New Woman?" He read aloud. Frowning, he turned up the volume ever so slightly and watched as the reporter interviewed the Ulga's waitress that had waited on him and Amy a few days before.

"Are you sure it was him?" the reporter asked.

"Yes, there's no doubt about it. He was wearing a disguise, but I've been a fan of his since the beginning so there's no way I would mistake that voice." Sora exclaimed. Zen couldn't help but notice the large _"I ❤️ Zen!"_ t-shirt she was wearing.

"And he was with someone at the time?"

"Yes, a young woman. They were quite friendly with one another, possibly a little too friendly if you ask me. I don't think they sat more than a few inches apart the entire meal." Sora gushed.

"So you think Zen and this woman might be dating?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense."

Turning back to the camera, the reporter returned the mic to her lips and said in a far too chipper tone, "There you have it, folks: an eyewitness account of the famous actor Zen spending some one-on-one quality time with a seemingly special lady. Don't believe it? We have video proof as well."

Immediately, the video switched to footage from very grainy security camera. Zen's stomach dropped when he saw himself and Amy seated in the corner of the screen.

"In the corner you'll notice a dark-haired man and a white-haired woman sitting in one of the many booths. The dark-haired man is actually famous actor Zen in disguise, but we have yet to identify the young woman with him. If you continue to watch, you'll notice the woman grab Zen's hand as the two engage in deep conversation. Judging by his body language and expression, it can be determined that the actor cares very much about this young lady-"

Zen shut off the tv, leaving him in complete darkness.

 _"So that's how her father found out. Idiot! I got sloppy and now as a result Amy can't go home and lost all her hard work! This is all my fault."_

With a sigh, Zen glanced at the clock to see it was ten minutes past four. Laying down on the couch, he tried to fall asleep but just found himself staring up at the ceiling above.

 _"I can't sleep. Alright, I might as well do something useful."_

Grabbing his phone, Zen opened another chatroom and typed out a message.

 ** _ZEN, MC_**

 ** _ZEN: Hey MC, do you have any clothes I could borrow?_**

* * *

Groaning when she heard her phone chirp, MC rubbed the sleep from her eyes and opened the chatroom. Immediately, her face scrunched up in confusion as she read Zen's message.

"What?" she muttered aloud.


	6. A Good Samaritan

**((Lilah: Disclaimer! I'm giving MC the name MacKenzie in this story since the term MC can then serve as a nickname sort of thing.**

 **Unknown: Wow, MacKenzie is TOTALLY a Korean name.**

 **Lilah: Shut up, Saeran! I didn't ask you. Besides, what do you truly know about MC anyways? She could have one Korean parent and one parent from another country where a name like MacKenzie is common! How do ya like them apples?**

 **Unknown:...This isn't even worth arguing about.**

 **Unknown has left the chatroom**

 **Lilah: Heh, no one tells me how to write my stories. ))**

As a soft groan escaped her lips, Amy's eyes fluttered open and she glanced around the room.

 _"What is this place? Where am I? Wait, that's right; this is Zen's room."_

As the events of the previous night resurfaced in her mind, the weight of the world settled on Amy's shoulders, pushing her back down into the bed as she leaned on the headboard for support. Raising her hand to brush her fingers against the bruises on her face, Amy flinched as a sharp, tingling pain shot through her swollen cheek. Tears involuntarily started slipping down her face as she hugged her knees to her chest and curled up into a shivering ball.

 _"I've lost everything. I lost my hard work, my sister, my home. What am I going to do?!"_

As she sobbed and hugged her arms tighter around herself, she failed to notice the click of the doorknob or the steady thumping of feet entering the room. It was only when she was enveloped in a pair of strong, comforting arms that she realized she was no longer alone.

"Shh, it's okay, Amy. Everything's going to be alright." Zen cooed, rubbing soothing circles on her back and giving her gentle squeeze.

"Zen, my entire life has fallen apart. What do I do? I don't have any money or clothes or shelter. I have nowhere else to turn." Amy whimpered, gripping onto the actor's shirt. "I just want this all to be a bad dream."

Zen's heart wrenched painfully as he stared down at his friend's trembling form. "Well, what about your mom? Can't you go to her?"

"She lives over 6000 miles away, Zen. If running to her was an option, I would've done it a long time ago."

"I see. Well, you can stay here as long as you need. I don't mind."

Amy wiped her eyes and looked up at him with a grateful smile. "Zen, thank you. You've been so kind to me even though we met less than a week ago. I don't know how to repay you."

"The only payment I need is seeing you happy and smiling." Zen cooed as he tucked a loose strand of snowy hair behind Amy's ear. Immediately, Amy started blushing profusely, but the dim light in the room prevented Zen from noticing. He did, however, see the massive bruises glaring up at him from her cheek. Frowning, he gently touched one in and immediately pulled away when a painful hiss escaped Amy's lips.

"You stay here. I'm going to go get you some ice, breakfast, and painkillers." he said as he rose to his feet and hurried from the room.

Sighing, Amy allowed her body to relax and slid back underneath the comforter on the bed. Glancing at the tv mounted on the wall directly across from her, she grabbed the remote off of Zen's bedside table and turned the it on. Some simple yet satisfying comedy or the chipper prattling of a chef on the cooking channel was sure to distract her from her troubles. However, what popped up on the screen made her blood run cold instead.

"Continuing our story from yesterday, we have new information on celebrity Zen's romantic rendezvous that occurred a few days ago." the reporter babbled with an excited, red-lipped smile. "The woman Zen was with has been identified as Amethyst Grace Hall, daughter of wealthy businessman Chul Hall. Since the incident, however, she has gone off the radar. Mr. Hall has refused to answer any questions regarding the matter. In other news, eyewitness accounts tell us the duo were also spotted interacting at a party set up by a local charity the day before-"

The tv suddenly clicked off, catching Amy offguard. Glancing beside her she saw Zen holding the tv remote with one hand and balancing a tray on the other, his lips curved into a deep scowl that was not becoming on him at all.

"Amy, I'm so sorry. If I had been more careful, this wouldn't have happened." he said, a hint of guilt in his voice.

"You're not to blame, Zen. Celebrity or not, you should be able to go out to eat with a friend and not have to worry about it making headlines the next day. Those nosy, no-good reporters are to blame; they'll do anything for a story, even ruin lives." Amy grumbled. However, as the smell of food reached her nose, she quickly forgot her bitterness as her nagging hunger took control. "Mm, what is that heavenly smell?"

Zen chuckled and set the tray down in front of her. "Just some toast and fresh fruit. I was going to give you some milk as well but I'm all out. I hope you don't mind."

"Thank you, Zen. I couldn't have asked for more." Amy smiled as she sank her teeth into the warm, buttery flesh of the toast and hungrily gobbled it down along with the fresh fruit.

Sitting down beside her, Zen grabbed the ice pack off of the tray and placed it on Amy's cheek. The woman immediately let out a shrill squeal and scrambled away.

"What's wrong?" Zen asked, confused.

"That's cold!" she whined in reply.

"It'll help the swelling in your cheek go down though."

Zen tried to return the ice pack to Amy's cheek but she continued to back away, her lips pressed together in a defiant pout. However, she eventually backed up a little too far and ran out of mattress. With a gasp, she started to fall but a pair of strong arms grabbed her and pulled her against something hard.

"Careful! You don't need anymore injuries. Now hold still." Zen scolded her gently. Grabbing the comforter on the bed, he draped it over Amy's shoulders before returning the ice pack to her face.

Despite the cold, Amy's face turned as red as cherry tomato as Zen held her firmly against his toned pecs and abs. _"Too close! Too close! Too close!"_

Thankfully, the heavenly sound of a knock on the front door signaled Amy's release from her awkward, though not entirely unenjoyable, bonds. However, Zen raised a suspicious eyebrow when he heard the noise. He wasn't expecting anyone at this hour.

"Amy, stay here. I'll be right back." he said sternly as he stiffly got up and left the room, shutting the door behind him. Frowning, Amy got up and shuffled over to the door, pressing her ear against the cool wood, but the conversation occurring was too muffled for her to understand. Glancing at the doorknob, Amy's defiant, I-do-what-I-want side kicked in and she hastily grabbed it. Opening the door a crack, she peeked out and saw two people standing in Zen's living room, but she was too far away to recognize them. Tiptoeing on cat-like feet down the hall, she peered around the corner and gasped in disbelief when she saw Zen's visitor's face, alerting the duo to her presence.

"MC?! MacKenzie, is that really you?!" she said.

"Amy?! OH MY GOSH, AMY!" MC exclaimed as she ran to embrace her long lost highschool companion.

Meanwhile, Zen looked completely confused as he stared at the two. "You know each other?"

"We went to school together. Amy, what are you doing here?! I saw the news but I thought it was just a scam! Are you and Zen really a thing?"

When Amy shook her head, Zen felt a sharp pain stab at his heart, but he said nothing and hid his hurt behind an emotionless mask.

"Well, what are you doing here then? And why are you wearing one of Zen's shirts?" MC asked, her head tilted slightly like a confused puppy.

Immediately, the dark clouds that had overcame Amy earlier returned, dulling the sparkle in her eyes as her shoulders drooped. MC noticed her drastic change in attitude and frowned.

"Amy, what's wrong?" she asked.

"I...I ran away. I didn't even grab anything; I just ran. I couldn't stand to be near that monster who claims to be my father for one second longer!" Amy shouted as tears started to pour down her cheeks. As her thoughts drifted to her sister, she let out another choked sob. "But now Emma's alone with him and has no one else to protect her! MC, what have I done? Is wanting to be treated like a human being truly so wrong?! Am I being selfish?! I don't know what to think anymore!"

MC was surprised by her friend's outburst but quickly pulled her into a hug, guiding the girl's head into her shoulder and letting her cry. "Shh, it's not wrong, Amy. You have the same rights as everyone else. It's your father who is being selfish here, not you." Grabbing a Kleenex from the box Zen had in hand, she forced Amy to look up at her and wiped the girl's eyes. "Zen's text makes much more sense now though."

Amy's brows furrowed in confusion as she blinked away the rest of her tears. "What?"

"Zen sent me a text last night asking if I had any clothes I could lend him. I was somewhat concerned and wondered if he was drunk or something but now I know why he was asking for them. I hope they'll fit." MC stated as she grabbed a large bag off of the couch and handed it to her friend.

Amy glanced back and forth between MC and the clothes and her lips curved into a grateful smile.

"Thank you." she said softly, wrapping MC in a hug.

"Don't mention it. I was surprised when I saw your motorcycle was still parked outside, Zen; shouldn't you be at work?"

"I called in sick today. I wasn't comfortable leaving Amy by herself. Besides, I figured we should go out and purchase her some things since she's living as a strong, independent lady now." Zen stated with a shrug of his shoulders.

"You don't have to do that, Zen! You shouldn't skip work because of me!" Amy protested.

"She's right, Zen. I'm actually on a holiday today so I can take her to go get what she needs." MC agreed.

"Thank you for offering, MC, but I've already made up my mind. Besides, we both know who has the bigger wallet." Zen winked.

"Are you sure about this, Zen? Won't you get in trouble with your director if you're seen out on the street, completely healthy? I don't want to cause problems for you." Amy frowned.

"I'm certain; don't worry about it." Zen replied with a smile. "Now, I ran out to get you some basic hygiene products this morning and placed them in the bathroom, so you go freshen up and get ready. We have a long day ahead of us."

"Zen...thank you."

As soon as Amy disappeared into the bathroom, MC turned to Zen, her happy expression replaced by a serious one.

"Well now I know why Saeyoung was working so late again. Is it really a good idea to take her out in public, Zen? Her father could still be looking for her."

"I can't keep her locked in here either, MC, otherwise I'm no better than he was. Besides, Amy is legally an adult so her father forcing her to return home could cause some nasty legal issues I don't think he wants to deal with." Zen stated.

"Well, shouldn't you at least put a disguise on again?"

"No. The media already knows about us so trying to hide would be pointless. In fact, me wearing a disguise might start scandal rumors and make things worse."

"But you not wearing a disguise will make her a target for her father or anyone who has a grudge against you. It isn't exactly hard to find your address either."

"All the more reason for her to always be with me! Now that I think about it, if she is constantly in the media's eye, her enemies' movements will be limited. It's perfect."

"So basically you made Saeyoung stay up an extra hour covering Amy's tracks for nothing?"

"Heheh, sorry?"

A weary sigh escaped MC's lips. "I really don't like this idea, Zen. I've got a bad feeling about it."

Hearing the click of the bathroom door's lock following by hurried footsteps, Zen leaned in and hurriedly whispered, "Look, we can continue discussing this later. For now, I need to focus on making sure Amy has a good time and forgets about her troubles for awhile."

"Okay."

Standing back to his full height, Zen turned towards the door as Amy walked into the room. He immediately smiled at her drank in the sight of her in the humble white t-shirt, black vest, ripped jeans, and purple Converses, and judging by the smile on Amy's face, she liked the outfit as much as he did.

When she noticed Zen staring, Amy's cheeks flushed red and she seemed to shrink in on herself a little.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Please stop; it's creepy." She said as she squirmed uncomfortable.

Now it was Zen's turn to blush.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you! I just thought you looked more like….yourself in that outfit. You really look nice. I mean, it's not that you didn't look good in the other outfits I've seen you wear, but I just think this outfit reflects your laidback personality more." he babbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

MC bit her tongue to keep from laughing as she watched the suave, composed Zen stumble over his words like a nervous schoolboy. She tried to reach for her phone to take a video to show Seven later, but one glare from those scarlet eyes caused her to freeze in her tracks.

"MC, since you have the day off, why don't you come shopping with us? It would be a good chance for you and I to get caught up." Amy suggested.

"I actually have a few errands to run so I can't. Oh Zen, I meant to tell you that the others saw your and Saeyoung's conversation from last night and are all dying to meet your new 'friend.' "

Zen groaned and grumbled a few incoherent sentences as Amy's face scrunched in confusion.

"Others? Who is she talking about, Zen?"

"The other members of the RFA. I contacted one of them last night to help me cover your tracks so your father couldn't find you."

"You did that for me?"

"Of course. I can't believe I forgot the others could see the messages too though. Ugh, I'm not going to hear the end of this."

Suddenly, both MC's and Zen's phones chirped loudly, causing both of them to take them out.

"Speak of the devils themselves…" MC chuckled.

Zen's lips pursed into a pout as he read the name of the newest chat. " 'Zemy or Amen?' Really?! MC, something is seriously wrong with your fiancé."

"I know but I wouldn't have him any other way."

"Zemy? Amen? Are your friends trying to decide on a ship name for us? But we aren't even a couple." Amy said as she peered over Zen's shoulder down at his phone.

Groaning, Zen slipped his phone into his pants' pocket and grabbed his jacket, a faint, rosy tint dusting his flawless cheekbones. "I'm not dealing with them right now. I have better things to do than argue with them. Let's go, Amy."

"Are you sure you can't come, MC?" Amy pleaded one last time, causing MC to smile.

"I'm sorry, Amy. Maybe another day. You two have fun!" she stated.

After grabbing his wallet, Zen grabbed the door for the two ladies and held out his arm for Amy. "I was thinking we could walk to the mall today since it's not that far away and the weather is nice. Does that sound good?"

Amy broke into a grin and nodded, looping her arm with Zen's and allowing him to lead her out the door. However, she froze when several microphones were shoved in her face and the thunderous screeching of a dozen reporters assaulted her eardrums.

"Miss Hall! Is it true that you and Zen are dating?!"

"Miss Hall, how long have you and Zen been together?!"

"Miss Hall, is there something going on between you and your father?!"

"Miss Hall!"

"Miss Hall!"

Amy's body went stiff with terror as the reporters continued to bombard her with questions, her expression similar to that of a deer as it stared at the headlights of an approaching car seconds before it is struck.

"Hey! Leave her alone! What the heck is wrong with you people?!" MC exclaimed as she stepped in front of Amy and tried to shield her with her body.

The reporters' chattering decrescendoed to a murmur as they all looked at one another.

"Two women? Zen is hanging out with two women?"

"Zen's a player?"

"Miss, are you Zen's girlfriend as well?!"

"No, I am not! Neither of us are so leave Amy alone!" MC snapped.

More murmuring rose from the crowd of reporters. MC bit her lip and prepared to snap at them again but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Please MC, allow me." Zen stated as he stepped forward, his arm still locked with Amy's. Putting on a broad smile, he addressed the group of news piranhas in the same calm, clear voice he used onstage. "I would like to put the circling rumors to rest. I am not in a relationship with anyone at the moment and these women with me are just good friends of mine."

"But what about the footage from the restaurant?" one reporter piped up.

"That footage was taken out of context. Amethyst and I were merely enjoying a meal as friends."

"Then why did you bring her home with you last night?! Eyewitness accounts told us that they saw you ushering Miss Hall into your home early this morning!"

The mumbling of the crowd grew louder but Zen held his ground. Glancing down at Amy, his eyes silently asked her how much he was allowed to share with the media because while he was an actor he knew lies had a way of coming back to bite you, especially in the business he did. After a few moments of deep thought, Amy stood on her toes and whispered something in Zen's ear.

"Are you sure?" he asked her softly.

"Yes, I'm sure. We might as well tell them now so they don't get suspicious of you and start more rumors. We don't want your reputation getting damaged, do we?" Amy stated. Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart, she turned to the reporters, who looked at her with eager expectantly.

"It is true that I came here early this with Zen early this morning but you have misinterpreted the situation. I recently left home due to a disagreement between my father, Chul Hall, the head of Hall Enterprise, and I. Given that this disagreement left me without a place to stay or my father's money to fall back on, Zen was kind enough to let me stay with him for the night, that is all. Now stop spreading these rumors about Zen and I being a couple and make sure you gets the facts first next time instead of broadcasting theories nationwide."

The reporters were stunned silent. As they stared at her, Amy turned to MC and Zen, who looked equally shocked.

"MC, could you give us a ride to the mall? The air seems to have gotten colder so I don't feel like walking anymore."

"O-Of course. Get it." MC stuttered, leading Zen and Amy to the driveway. The three remained unusually silent as they got into the car and MC started the engine. Frowning, Amy glanced back and forth between Zen and MC, her brows pinching together worriedly. Had she gone too far?

Suddenly, she heard giggling followed by full blown laughter and turned to see Zen laughing so hard tears were spilling down his cheeks.

"Amy, you're amazing! I can't believe you literally just told off the paparazzi! That was epic!"

Amy's shoulders relaxed when she heard MC chuckle too.

"That's Amy for ya: gutsy and full of surprises." she winked in the rearview mirror.

"Eyes on the road, MC." Amy scolded her teasingly. "Besides, one of us had to do it, and I wasn't letting Zen or you ruin your or the RFA's reputation so that left mine."

"You're quite a character, Amy." Zen chuckled.

"Is that a good thing?" Amy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Another laugh escaped Zen's throat. "Most definitely. Hopefully no one else will bother us today after that little outburst."

However, as he said that, Zen glanced out the window at a car he had noticed following them at a distance. It had been parked across the street at his house as well, and he could just barely make out three or four men dressed in identical black suits all seated inside. Instinctively, he grabbed Amy's hand and squeezed it, puzzling her.

"Zen, is something wrong?"

Turning back to his friend, Zen forced a carefree smile. "No, not at all. Hey, why don't we make a list of what we need to buy so we don't forget anything?"

"Oh, good idea. Can you write it down on your phone since I don't have one?"

"Of course, and the first item on our list will be a cell phone for you." Zen cooed as he whisked out his phone and opened it. However, he glanced up at MC through the rearview mirror, and when their eyes locked, he could tell she had noticed the car following them as well. Tearing his eyes away from hers, Zen hastily started typing while MC pressed a little harder on the gas peddle.


	7. Cinderella Wears Ankle Boots

A broad smile graced Amy's lips as she stared down at the brand new cellphone in her hands, complete with an unlimited data plan and case of her choosing, courtesy of Zen's credit card.

"Thank you so much for doing this, Zen. I honestly don't know what I would've done if I didn't have you and Mackenzie to help me." she said as she finished entering his and MC's phone numbers into her contacts.

"I'm just glad I could be of help. By the way, I'm sorry about that fiasco with the paparazzi earlier." Zen stated as his eyes scanned the faces of the people around them. So far, he hadn't seen any sign of the men that had followed them in the car, not that he was complaining.

"It's not your fault; don't worry about it." Glancing up at the actor, Amy suddenly got an idea. "Zen, stop."

Immediately, the actor froze in his tracks and turned to face her a look of concern on his features. Had Amy seen those men? Did she recognize them? "Is something the matter?"

"What? No. I just want to get a picture of you, MC, and I to use as my screensaver, that's all."

A soft, relieved chuckle left Zen's lips as his tense shoulders relaxed. Flashing Amy a smirk that made the hearts of women everywhere explode, he sauntered over and gently plucked the phone from her hand.

"Is that so? Well, let's make sure we get a good one then." he purred, giving her a wink.

A groan rose from MC as she rested her face against the palm of her hand. "Here it comes. Nice going, Amy."

"Huh? What did I do?"

"You'll see."

Taking the phone, Zen held it at different angles, frowning critically as he gave a thoughtful "hmm."

"The lighting here is awful." he concluded. Grabbing Amy's hand, he began pulling her through crowds of people as MC scrambled after them.

"MC, what's happening?" Amy asked, utterly confused.

"What's happened is you've awakened Zen's selfie guru side. Now he won't stop until he has achieved the perfect picture." MC informed her.

"Why didn't you warn me?!"

"I thought you already knew!"

"Ladies, I hate to be rude but your squabbling is interfering with my concentration, so could you please pipe down?" Zen said as his scarlet irises searched for the perfect background. Spotting a tile wall decorated with a pretty, aquatic pattern, he pulled Amy over to it and held the phone up again for a lighting check. A satisfied smile glanced his lips.

"Perfect." he purred and wrapped an arm around Amy's waist, making her blush. "MC, come here and stand on the other side of Amy. Now Amy, put your arms around my and MC's backs. Yep just like that. MC, you put one arm behind Amy's back and poss with the other one. Good, that looks cute. Alright, big, genuine smiles, ladies. MC, you call that a smile? Much better. Now squeeze in. Perfect! Alright, three, two, one!"

After taking the picture, Zen handed the phone back to Amy, who smiled down at it.

"Thanks Zen; it looks great!" she said as she quickly set the picture as her background before slipping the phone into her pocket. It was then that she seemed to notice Zen hadn't removed his arm from around her yet, and her cheeks changed to resemble maraschino cherries.

"Zen? Your arm?"

Realizing his error, Zen hastily snatched his arm away, the rosy hue of his face matching Amy's own. "Heh, sorry, my princess. Let's continue your shopping spree. What do you want to get next?"

"Uh, let's look at clothes and shoes next." Amy said, bashfully avoiding the actor's eyes and instead scanning the fronts of nearby stores, hoping one would catch her eye. Fortunately, one did, and her eyes lit up as her gaze singled out a jacket of glistening black leather sitting in the window. Upon sensing her heart rate pick up slightly, Zen turned and followed her gaze, worried she had seen the men in black, but when he realized what she was staring at, he smiled.

"Do you want that?" he whispered softly in her ear, sending chills down her spine. Amy swallowed the lump forming in her throat and nodded, allowing the actor to take her hand and guide her into the store. Smiling, Zen approached an employee who was making rounds through the store and coughed to get her attention.

"Excuse me, miss, but do you think you could help us?" he cooed.

The woman's jaw immediately dropped. "You...You're Zen! You're Zen! Oh my gosh! W-What can I do for you?"

Zen smiled and gently pushed Amy forward. "I'm here to purchase my lovely friend a new wardrobe and I was hoping you could help her out. She was admiring the black leather jacket in the window so let's start with that."

"O-Of course. Right this way, miss." The baffled employee stuttered, ushering Amy towards one of the many racks in the store. After giving her client one quick glance, she snatched one of the jackets of the rack and helped her into it.

"Well, what do you think Amy? Do you like it?" Zen asked.

Amy nodded vigorously in reply and hugged the jacket tighter against her body. The smell of the leather, the gentle yet firm embrace of the material, and the sense of confidence that resonated from the jacket sent a current of warmth racing through her veins; she felt empowered by the jacket, like it had bestowed upon her the gift of invincibility as long as she stayed within its folds.

MC chuckled as she watched Amy cuddle the jacket like a lover. "I think she likes it a lot actually. You're probably not going to be able to get it away from her now."

"Well, I guess we're buying it then, right, Amy?" Zen cooed and received another excited nod in reply.

Following behind the store clerk, Amy picked out items left and right to try on, and before long, MC's, the clerk's, and her own arms were full of clothes. Zen laughed at the sight.

"Amy, why don't you try on some of these outfits before you're buried alive? Miss, could you give her a dressing room please?" he said gently as he took the pile from the store clerk's arms.

"O-Of course. Right this way." she replied, blushing profusely as she hurried towards the back of the store, casting occasional glances over her shoulder at Zen. For some reason, this made Amy's blood boil.

 _"Why is she looking at him like that? Wait a second, why do I care? It has nothing to do with me."_ Amy thought to herself. However, try as she might, she couldn't seem to dispel the unpleasant prickling sensation spreading throughout her body. _"Why do I feel like this? I-I must still be on edge from yesterday! That's the only logical explanation! It couldn't possibly be anything else...could it?"_

Meanwhile, the store clerk knocked on one of the doors at the back of the shop before opening it and ushering Amy inside. Once all three piles of clothes had been placed on the bench next to the mirror, she started to close the door when Amy suddenly held out her hand and stopped her.

"Zen, can you grab me one of those dresses?" She asked, pointing at a baby blue, knee-length dress on a nearby rack.

Chuckling and shaking his head, Zen grabbed the desired article of clothing and handed it to her. Taking the dress, Amy gently placed it on top of the nearest pile before closing the door with a satisfying click.

For the next half hour, Amy tried on outfit after outfit and showed them off to her companions. Each time Zen complemented her, a rush of butterflies fluttered inside her and the internal warmth she felt was reflected in the faint blush of her cheeks. Before long, the piles had been reduced to several outfits and a few special outfits for formal occasions.

"Alright, this is the last one. What do you guys think?" Amy asked as she emerged from the dressing room clad in the pale blue dress and the leather jacket. As his eyes drank in the sight of her, Zen felt his heart skip several beats. Despite being two polar opposite styles, the edginess of the jacket and the elegance of the dress clashed to create a beautiful masterpiece that couldn't have been a more accurate representation of the girl wearing it. Sharp yet sweet. Elegant yet witty. Graceful but fierce. Beautiful but deadly. All around him, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only him and Amy in a lone spotlight. He wanted to grab her hand and ask her to dance with him, and after they had danced for hours upon hours, he desired whisk her away on his motorcycle to a faraway palace where they would be the only guests. Finally, once they were alone, he wanted to pull her close, brush her hair out of her eyes, and slowly lean in till…

"Zen! Earth to Zen! Hello?!" MC called as she waved her hand in front of the actor's face.

Jumping slightly as he was ripped from his sweet daydream, Zen blinked several times as he glanced from MC to the store clerk to Amy, who was fidgeting uncomfortably before him with a worried glimmer in her eyes.

"Sorry, I must have gotten lost within the beautiful ocean that is your eyes, Amy." he cooed suavely in an attempt to dissipate the awkward aura that had taken possession of the air. Fortunately, it seemed to work as MC rolled her eyes and Amy snorted in amusement.

"I'm going to start fining you every time you crack a sappy one-liner. I bet I'll be as rich as my father in no time." she sneered, causing Zen to laugh. "Now, back to the matter at hand, do you like the outfit or not?"

Zen's eyes donned a mischievous sparkle as an idea popped into his head. "Do you want me to be completely honest?"

"If I didn't then why would I ask for your opinion in the first place?"

"Alright, alright. If I'm being completely honest, I ha-"

Amy's face began to fall.

"-ve to say this is my favorite outfit so far." Zen stated with a cocky smirk. "However, there's something missing. Miss, do you have any shoes my friend could try on?"

"Y-Yes. Is there anything you had in mind?" The meek employee asked as she stared up at Zen in awe.

"Bring me some black boots please." Zen stated. As the clerk hurried off, he grabbed Amy's hand and pulled her over to a chair. Kneeling before her, he began to undo the laces of her Converse before slipping them off of her feet. When he saw her socks, he couldn't help but smirk.

"Flying pigs? Really, MC? Do you actually wear these?" he teased the brunette.

"I do actually. They so happen to be one of my favorite pairs and a gift from my little cousin." MC said flatly, folding her arms across her chest.

"MC, I hate to tell you this but your little cousin doesn't love you."

"Shut up! She's five!"

"I think you're just jealous because you don't have flying pig socks, Zen." Amy cooed with a smirk.

The actor chuckled as his scarlet eyes locked with hers. "Is that so?"

"Yep. I hear flying pigs are really trending among girls right now. I bet you secretly want MC's socks for yourself so you can become more popular."

"Ooo, you know too much. I think I'm gonna have to kill you now."

"I'd like to see you try."

MC smiled as she watched Amy and Zen continue to banter back and forth. Although the were too engaged in their battle of wits to notice, the air around the two had changed from friendly to something much deeper and they had began to unintentionally creep closer and closer to one another. While she was going to pay by having to run her errands in the middle of the day when traffic was the worst, staying with her two friends had its perks too; after all, she was getting a great show and tons of blackmail material to be used at a later date.

"Face it, Zen. You don't have the guts to hurt a woman." Amy sang tauntingly as she leaned down so her and Zen were eye to eye.

"Then instead of killing you, I'll hide you someplace no one will ever find you so you can't share my dirty little secret with the world." Zen purred in reply as he grabbed one of Amy's wrists and gave it a squeeze.

"Um, am I interrupting something?"

Amy and Zen both went stiff as the the store clerk awkwardly shuffled her feet. Suddenly becoming aware of how close he was, the actor coughed like he was clearing his throat and backed up slightly, although he still remained kneeling. Holding out his hand, he took one of the boxes from the clerk's arms and opened it. Taking out the chic, black leather ankle boot, he gently held Amy's foot steady and slipped it on.

"How does it feel?" he asked.

"It fits perfectly." Amy said with a smile. "Does it look good with the outfit?"

"It looks great. It's exactly what I had in mind." Zen smiled.

"Alright, then this one's definitely a keeper. I'll go change back so we can buy this stuff and move on. I want to go look at some knick knacks and decorations for my new room." Amy said as she slid the boot off and handed it back to Zen. Picking up her Converses, she sauntered back into the changing room, completely oblivious to Zen's gaze as he watched her with admiration and a hint of fascination. However, the store clerk noticed this quite quickly, and her face fell as her heart sank.

Before long, Amy emerged with the pile of clothes she wanted and followed the clerk up to the counter. Soon, her new wardrobe was loaded into about six paper bags the size of small suitcases and placed in her arms only for Zen to hastily snatch them away.

"Please, allow me." he cooed sweetly, placing three bags on each arm.

"Go ahead. You're not getting any complaints out of me." Amy smiled as she followed him towards the exit.

Suddenly, as the automatic doors slid open, a shrill symphony of high-pitched squeals and cameras clicks pierced the air, making Zen, Amy, and MC jump. Immediately, the horde of fangirls that had been waiting outside the store swept over them like a massive ocean wave, violently shoving Amy and MC aside as they crowded around the actor.

"Zen! We love you!" one girl shrieked.

"You're so hot!" another exclaimed.

"Marry me, Zen!" cried a third.

"Ladies, ladies, calm yourselves! I'm flattered by your attention." Zen said, forcing a smile as his eyes scanned the crowd for his friends. Seeing a flash of white and purple ombré, he reached out his hand and grabbed the disoriented female and helped her to her feet as MC stubbornly shoved her way past several girls as they grumbled in protest. As she stood up and dusted herself off, Amy noticed all the girls shooting her glares that rivaled the deathly gaze of the gorgon Medusa.

 _"What's their problem?"_ she wondered. However, everything clicked when she felt Zen place his hand on her shoulder. _"Oh."_

"Girls, I am so honored by your devotion. As a man of humble begins, I know that I'm only here because of you, my amazing fans. If you would so kind as to let my friends and I through, I have something for each of you." Zen stated, distracting the girls from his female companion for a moment. Reaching into his pocket, he produced a bag of headshots small enough to fit in a wallet, each marked with a signature. The girls grew deathly silent as Zen opened the bag, slowly inching closer. Smiling at them, the actor dropped a picture in each of their hands and remained completely unphased by the squealing that followed. Before long, each girl had her own picture that she hugged to her chest like her life depended on it. Returning the remaining pictures to his pocket, Zen grabbed the hand of an astonished Amy and steadily led her and MC away while his fans were distracted. When he noticed the white-haired beauty staring at him, he looked away shyly.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked softly, doing his best to keep from blushing.

"I'm trying to figure out why you had those pictures in your pocket. It would seem you're even more narcissistic than I thought." Amy replied playfully, earning herself a chuckle.

"I won't deny that I'm a narcissist but that isn't the reason I had those pictures. After a few rough scrapes, you learn to have certain precautionary measures on hand." Zen winked. "Why does it matter to you though? Are you jealous because you didn't get one?"

"Don't flatter yourself."

Suddenly, someone walked straight into her, causing her to stumble.

"Hey, watch it-" she started to snap as she turned to face the culprit but stopped when her oceans met stainless steel. Zen's fiery rubies narrowed angrily as he glared at the last person he wanted to run into.

 _"Trust Fund Kid."_


	8. An Unlikely Alliance

Amy's breath caught in her throat as Jumin gazed down at her from over the top of his phone.

"Oh, Amy, I didn't see you there. My apologies." he stated flatly as he glanced back at his phone.

When he didn't receive a response, Jumin looked up again and raised a questioning eyebrow at the woman who was staring at him with wide, fearful eyes. "Is something the matter?"

Zen's temper flared as he clenched his jaw and curled his hands into fists.

"What are you doing here, Jumin? I thought you believed you were too good to mingle with us 'common folk'." he spat as his scarlet irises gleamed like hot coals.

Jumin's eyes narrowed. "Oh Zen, I didn't notice you standing there without your crowd of fangirls worshipping you and kissing the ground you walk on.

Something like a deep growl escaped Zen's throat, causing Jumin to smirk internally though his face remained impassive.

"If you must know, I was supposed to meet a few colleagues here and go to lunch with them but they all just texted me to cancel. Quite rude if you ask me." he continued nonchalantly as he slipped his phone into his pocket and began fussing with the cuffs of his jacket. "Zen, forgive me for being nosy, but are those men following you your bodyguards?"

The hair on the back of Zen's neck stood on end as he and MC glanced over their shoulders. Sure enough, the small men in black suits that had been following them on the road stood in the shadows of a nearby hallway, peering at them from behind their identical sunglasses. Jumin's frown deepened when he saw their reactions.

"It would seem they are not." He stated dully. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Amy by the arm, dragging her towards a nearby restaurant.

"Hey, what the heck are you doing?! Let go of me!" Amy exclaimed as she tried to pry his hand off of her wrist.

"I am trying to help you. If you stay out here in the open, you are sure to have a confrontation. However, assuming they were sent by your father, they will not go near me for fear of damaging relations between my company and his. Now please stop struggling." Jumin explained.

Amy stared at him in shock. He was helping her? The other day it seemed like she could've crawled in a ditch and died and he wouldn't have batted an eyelash. What was with this sudden change of heart? Glancing at Zen and MC, she searched their faces for an explanation but they appeared just as shocked as she was.

"Are you two going to just stand there or are you going to join us? I'm not waiting for you so make up your minds quickly." Jumin stated flatly, casting Zen a distasteful glance before disappearing into the restaurant with Amy in tow. Finally snapping out of whatever daze has taken hold of him, Zen stormed after the cocky businessman and MC in turn scrambled after him.

"Zen, deep breaths. Whatever you do, don't punch him!" she stated as the two walked through the automatic double doors and toward the hostess station. Amy immediately sighed in relief when she saw them.

"Hey Jumin, would you let go over her arm already? You're making her uncomfortable." Zen growled at the ravenette.

"Oh? I didn't notice. Forgive me." Jumin replied and released Amy's wrist. Immediately, Zen stepped between them, and he and Jumin glared at one another with enough venom in their eyes to kill an entire army.

"Um, your table is ready, Mr. Han." the hostess said awkwardly, fiddling with the four menus in her arms as she watched the silent showdown.

Turning away from Zen, Jumin gave the woman a curt nod, signaling for her to lead the way. Briskly turning on her heels, the hostess hurried towards the back of the restaurant and ushered the four customers into a private room. Inside, a booth next to a window with a view of the city was set with four plates, glasses, and bundles of silverware wrapped in cloth napkins. After placing a menu at each spot, the hostess bowed humbly and left without a word. As soon as Amy slipped into her seat, Zen immediately sat down beside her, watching Jumin warily the entire time. Rolling his eyes, Jumin slid into the spot directly across from Amy while MC sat beside him.

"So, Amy, I was quite startled when I learned you were now staying with Zen of all people. Has he been a good host? He hasn't tried anything, has he?"

"Why do you suddenly care about my wellbeing? You didn't seem to give much of a crap yesterday or at the party." Amy replied suspiciously.

A sigh escaped Jumin's lips. "Contrary to what you seem to believe, I have nothing against you, Amethyst. The few times we have met have not been under the best of circumstances. We share no interest in each other yet we have been forced to spend time together like a couple. Like you, I too was doing what little I could to defy my father's wishes. It was never that I had anything against you; I merely overly emphasized that I was uninterested in hopes of deterring our fathers from further attempts of joining us together. I'm not a bad person, Amethyst, I promise."

"Heh, I beg to differ." Zen scoffed, wincing slightly when he received a sharp kick to the shin from MC.

"Even so, that still doesn't answer my question as to why you've suddenly developed an interest in me." Amy stated flatly. "Also, don't call me Amethyst. I hate that name."

"Very well. To tell you the truth, I am actually rather jealous of you."

Amy's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What? You're jealous of me?"

"Yes. You've done something I never can; you've broken from your father's hold. You can now write your own fate. While I can afford many things serving as my father's successor, you have the one thing that I cannot afford." Jumin stated, his usually cold gray eyes turning bright and sincere. "Given that I am not as privileged as you in the sense of governing my own life, I would like to help you in any way I can. If you need any financial aid or if Zen is being a bad host, please contact me."

"Um…thanks?"

"Yeah thanks, but she isn't going to need any help from you. I can take care of us both." Zen cut in, wrapping an arm around Amy's shoulders and sneering at a Jumin. Blushing, Amy hastily ducked out of his hold, though the actor was too preoccupied with his rival to notice.

"Are you sure about that? Caring for two people is very different than caring for one. You have more expenses to pay and things get used up more quickly. Also, have you taken into consideration how having Amy stay with you might affect your career and popularity? There are a lot of variables you are not considering here, Zen-"

"I said I can do it. End of discussion." the actor snapped, his face getting red.

Rolling her eyes, MC cleared her throat to get Jumin's attention. "Jumin, you've eaten here before, right? I'm not sure what to get. Could you give me a few recommendations?"

With Jumin distracted, Amy turned to Zen and kicked his ankle, making him flinch.

"What is with people kicking me today? My flawless skin is going to get bruised!" he whined.

"Why didn't you tell me we were being followed?!" Amy asked.

"Huh? Because I didn't want to worry you."

"You still should have told me! I have a right to know things like that!" Amy fumed, glaring at him.

Zen blinked in surprise. She was mad at him?

"I'm sorry. I just wanted you to have fun today and forget your burdens instead of spending your time worrying and constantly looking over your shoulder." he explained.

Amy's expression softened to the point where she even started to smile. However, she hastily turned away before Zen could see it.

"Well, just tell me next time, okay? I'm not some fragile damsel that will shatter the minute I come in contact with hardship."

"O-Of course! I never thought anything like that, I promise!" Zen stated, worried he had offended her.

"Good. Now, let's get something to eat. I'm not very hungry yet so why don't we split something?" Amy said as she picked up a menu and started skimming through it.

Zen's lips curved into a frown. "Amy, you're not just saying that to avoid eating, right? You need to eat a sufficient amount of food each day or your health will deteriorate."

"No, Zen, I'm just not super hungry, that's all."

"You better not be lying to me."

Amy chuckled to herself. _"He may be a narcissist and a little smothering at times but he is truly a big sweetheart. I wish I could do something to thank him for helping me."_

* * *

After concluding their lunch together, the ravenette and the trio parted ways.

"Oh Zen, you should check the messenger sometime soon. 707 has already started spreading rumors about you and Amy and he pretty much has Yoosung convinced that you two are reincarnated lovers from another galaxy." Jumin called over his shoulder before walking away.

Zen groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose, grumbling under his breath. "Thanks for the heads up."

"Take care of Amy."

Once Jumin had disappeared, MC pulled out her phone and glanced at the time.

"I really should go now if I want to get my errands done. Will you guys be able to get a ride home?" she said.

"We'll be fine. Give your fiancé a smack upside the head for me." Zen grunted as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. Grabbing Amy's hand, he guided her over to a nearby bench and sat down with her.

"Sorry, we'll continue your shopping trip once I clear this up, okay?" he said as he opened the exclusive Messenger app Saeyoung had designed and opened the most recent chat.

Curious, Amy peeked over Zen's shoulder and began reading the text messages. Slowly, her lips curved into a smile and she started giggling.

"You're friend is quite…creative. He would do well as a science fiction author." she mused.

"Yeah, he's something alright." Zen grumbled as he started typing a response

 ** _707, Yoosung, Jaehee, ZEN_**

 ** _ZEN has entered the chatroom_**

 ** _ZEN: Yo, Seven! Quit spreading rumors about me!_**

 ** _ZEN: *angry emoji*_**

 ** _707: Rumors? What rumors?_**

 ** _707: *confused emoji*_**

 ** _ZEN: Don't play dumb with me! Jumin told me about your little fanfic of lies!_**

 ** _Yoosung: Lies? You mean Zen and Amy aren't reincarnated alien lovers?_**

 ** _Yoosung: *shocked emoji*_**

 ** _Jaehee: I told you he was lying._**

 ** _ZEN: You told them her name?! Seven!_**

 ** _707: What? They needed to know so we could decide on a ship name for you two! Hey, by the way, which name do you like better: Amen or Zemy?_**

 ** _ZEN: Neither!_**

 ** _707: Awe, you're no fun!_**

 ** _Yoosung: *angry emoji*_**

 ** _Yoosung: Seven! I'm gonna kill you for lying to me again!_**

 ** _707: Hehehe...707 isn't here right now. Please leave a message at the beep._**

 ** _ZEN: Seven!_**

 ** _707: Beep!_**

 ** _707 has left the chatroom_**

 ** _ZEN: He ran away…_**

 ** _Yoosung: Coward._**

 ** _Jaehee: Zen, are you actually having this Amy woman stay with you? You realize how risky that is, right?_**

 ** _ZEN: I know, Jaehee, but I don't feel comfortable having her stay someplace else. Thank you for your concern though._**

 ** _Yoosung: Zen, when is Amy going to get added to the messenger? I want to talk to her myself!_**

 ** _Jaehee: Yes, I am curious to meet this woman as well._**

 ** _707 has entered the chatroom_**

 ** _MC has entered the chatroom_**

 ** _707: I just pushed the app to Amy's phone so she should be able to make an account and log in._**

 ** _ZEN: HOW DID YOU GET HER NUMBER?!_**

 ** _707: I wirelessly hacked MC's phone._**

 ** _MC: Saeyoung!_**

 ** _707: *mischievous emoji*_**

 ** _Yoosung: Zen! Have Amy log in! I want to meet her already!_**

Zen and Amy shared a look.

"You don't have to. They're a tad crazy." Zen warned.

"No, it's alright. Tell them I'll be on in a second." Amy stated as she pulled out her phone and opened the app that had manifested on her screen.

 ** _707, Yoosung, Jaehee, ZEN, Amy, MC_**

 ** _Amy has entered the chatroom_**

 ** _Yoosung: She's here!_**

 ** _Amy: Hi.._**

 ** _Yoosung: Are you really Zen's girlfriend?!_**

 ** _Amy: Uh, not quite. Zen and I are just friends._**

 ** _707: "Just friends"_**

 ** _707: *hearts emoji*_**

 ** _ZEN: Dude, stop that!_**

 ** _707: Yo, Amy, what name do you like better: Zemy or Amen?_**

 ** _Jaehee: Seven, leave the poor girl alone. You'll scare her off._**

 ** _707: I will not be silenced! Zemy forever!_**

 ** _707 has left the chatroom_**

 ** _Amy: Your fiancé is quite a character, MC_**

 ** _MC: Tell me about it._**

 ** _ZEN: MC, I thought you were running errands…_**

 ** _MC: My phone started making a bunch of weird noises so I was investigating. Shouldn't you and Amy be shopping?_**

 ** _ZEN: Touché._**

 ** _Yoosung: Aw, you guys have to go already?_**

 ** _Jaehee: They have things to do, Yoosung. Not everyone has time to just sit around like you do._**

 ** _MC:...Did Jaehee just burn Yoosung?_**

 ** _ZEN: I think she did._**

 ** _Amy: Don't worry, Yoosung. We can talk more later._**

 ** _Yoosung: *happy emoji*_**

 ** _Yoosung: Okay! She's really nice, Zen. Definitely a keeper._**

 ** _ZEN: We're not dating!_**

 ** _Amy: Bye Yoosung_**

 ** _Yoosung: Bye Amy!_**

 ** _Amy has left the chatroom_**

 ** _ZEN has left the chatroom_**

"Yoosung's cute in a little brother kind of way." Amy giggled as she stashed her phone in her pocket.

"Yeah, sure." Zen stated, somewhat annoyed, as he put his phone away. Taking Amy's hand, he began to walk with her again only for her to gasp and jerk to a stop.

"Amy, what's the matter?!"

"Zen, it's beautiful."

Following her gaze, Zen's eyes landed on a leather bound journal adorned with gold designs that resembled fairy dust. A deep, amused chuckle echoed from his throat as he shook his head.

"A book. Of course."

Paying Zen no mind, Amy approached the window and eyed the journal the way a child eyed a king-size candy bar.

"Do you want it?" Zen cooed as he came up behind her.

Amy nodded her head vigorously, her eyes sparkling. Smiling, Zen grabbed the door and ushered her into the store before slipping in after her, though not before scanning his surroundings for their stalkers. Oddly, they seemed to have disappeared.


	9. Rotten at the Core

As he watched Amy hurriedly scribble line after line in her new prized possession, Zen couldn't help but chuckle.

"How are you not getting motion sick?" He asked as he leaned over in his seat and peered over her shoulder.

"Practice, I guess. Now stop distracting me! I have to write everything down before I forget it all!" Amy scolded him, her eyes never leaving the page as her fingers flew with the speed and grace of an eagle, writing down dozens of words in mere seconds. Curious as to what kind of masterpiece was forming in her head, Zen began to skim through what she had jotted down so far, being careful to also read the notes and marks written in the margins as well. His lips quickly curved into a smile as realization dawned on him.

"You're writing a play, Amy?" he cooed, making chills run up her spine.

"I-I'm writing the book first and then the play. Now stop distracting me!" Amy whined as she erased several dots that appeared to be music notes. Zen's eyes took on a mischievous sparkle.

"You know how to write music?" he asked.

Sighing in exasperation as her inspiration slipped away, Amy shut the journal and shoved it back into one of the many shopping bags at her feet.

"I'm trying to but everything I come up with sounds like a dying animal." she stated as she leaned back in her seat and gazed out the window of the taxi.

Another quiet laugh escaped Zen's lips.

"You know, I'm pretty good with music. I actually play piano and have written a few short pieces myself. I could help you." he purred sweetly, reaching for the bag containing her journal. However, his hand was quickly smacked away.

"I'll think about it. Also, don't touch my book." Amy replied, glancing over her shoulder at him. However, when she noticed the soft yet mesmerizing curve in his lips, she hastily returned her gaze to the passing scenery as her cheeks burned.

 _"Ugh, why is it suddenly so hot in here?!"_

Soon, the taxi turned onto Zen's street and slowed to a stop in front of his house. Amy frowned in confusion when she noticed a young, brunette woman adorned in a navy blue dress standing on Zen's porch, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Zen, are you expecting company?" she asked uncertainly.

Frowning, Zen leaned forward and peered out the window, completely oblivious to the fact that his chest was pressed firmly against Amy's back. The girl quickly sank her teeth into her bottom lip to keep from shoving him off of her.

"Is that Echo?" Zen thought aloud as he squinted to get a better look at his visitor. By now, the brunette had noticed the the taxi and the annoyed scowl disappeared off of her face when she saw Zen. Grinning like a child on Christmas, she gracefully leaped off of the porch and skipped towards them, her eyes shining like stars, and Zen quickly got out of the car to meet her.

"Echo, what are you going here?" he asked as she ran up and embraced him.

"I was worried about you when you didn't show up to work today so I decided to come check on you and make sure you were okay!" Echo Girl gushed as she clung to the actor, batting her eyelashes at him and gazing up at him with pure adoration. "Why didn't you text me that you were alright? Don't you have my number?"

"Sorry, Echo, I didn't think of that. I'm fine though, I promise. Here, just let me go help my friend with her bags and then we can talk, okay?" Zen stated as he wiggled out of the brunette's grasp and grabbed the car door. Echo Girl frowned in confusion but her eyes widened in horror when Amy emerged from inside the cab, her arms laden with shopping bags.

"Zen, who's this?" She asked, the corners of her lips twitching as she forced herself to keep smiling.

"Oh, that's right! You two haven't officially met yet. Echo Girl, this is my good friend Amethyst Hall, but she prefers to be called Amy. Amy, this is Echo Girl; I'm sure you've heard of her. She and I are working together on a project." Zen stated, oblivious to the tension radiating off of the young idol.

"It's nice to meet you." Amy said kindly, offering a hand for the other girl to shake. Echo Girl merely glanced at her extended palm with a look of disgust before knocking it aside.

"The pleasure is all mine." she replied curtly, her teeth clenched together as her overly sweet smile returned.

"Well, should we go inside? It's getting pretty warm out; I wouldn't want you pretty ladies to feel uncomfortable." Zen cooed. Turning to Amy, he quickly snatched her bags from her arms. "Please, allow me to carry these for you."

"That's alright, Zen. I can carry them myself."

"But I insist. How could I call myself a gentleman if I let a lady carry her own bags when my arms are free?"

"Ugh, fine but give me your keys so I can get the door for you." Amy said, shaking her head at the male's persistence as he dropped his keys into her open palm. As she slipped past Echo Girl, she thought she saw the starlet scowling at her but when she looked back the brunette was all smiles. Shaking off the uneasiness she felt, she hastily inserted the key into the lock and opened the door so Zen could carry her bags inside before the handles cut off the circulation to his arms.

"Thank you so much, fair maiden." he said, flashing her a wink as he passed by. Echo Girl hastily followed behind him with her nose in the air and her shoulders tense, not bothering to show any gratitude to the woman at the door. Amy frowned and raised a questioning eyebrow as she slipped inside behind the idol and closed the door.

 _"What's her deal?"_ she wondered to herself as she stared at the long, wavy, silky, brown hair that swayed from side to side as Echo Girl walked. _"Also, why the heck is she wearing those heels?! It's the middle of the day!"_

After setting Amy's bags down along the wall of the living room, Zen turned to his guests with his hands on his hips. "Now, are either of you ladies thirsty? Could I interest you in some tea or water?"

"We're good, Zen. Thank you. However, do you have any painkillers? My feet are dying." Echo Girl whimpered, grabbing Zen's arm and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, I'll go grab some. Feel free to sit anywhere you want." Zen stated and then hurried into the kitchen, leaving Echo Girl and Amy alone.

Once the albino actor was gone, Echo Girl sighed loudly and flopped down onto his cushy loveseat, her eyes boring holes through Amy's chest. Amy frowned at her.

"What? What are you staring at?" she barked somewhat defensively.

"Oh nothing, don't worry about it." Echo Girl cooed. However, her voice had a poisonous tint to it.

Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Amy bent down and grabbed her bags off the floor.

"I think I'm going to go unpack." she mumbled just loud enough for the starlet to hear as she walked past her.

"Don't bother getting too comfortable. You won't be staying long."

Amy immediately froze mid step and turned to stare at the brunette with wide eyes. Echo Girl, who had pulled out her phone and was scrolling through one of her many social media pages, glanced up at her in annoyance.

"It's rude to stare you know." she scolded her before returning her eyes to the screen in front of her like nothing had happened.

 _"Did I just imagine that?"_ Amy wondered to herself. _"I could've sworn she just spoke. I guess the heat is affecting me more than I thought."_

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Amy hurried to the guest bedroom and placed the shopping bags on the bed before slipping into the bathroom. After tying her hair back in a ponytail, she turned on the sink faucet and splashed some cold water onto her face in attempt to wake herself up. However, as she dried of with a towel, Echo Girl's words continued to echo in the back of her brain.

 _"Did she really say that? She did seem to be acting rather strangely. She was stuck standing outside in heels forever though; that is bound to make any woman agitated. However, what woman in her right mind wears heels all day?! Maybe I'm looking too much into this. Should I bring it up to Zen? Perhaps I should wait and observe a little longer before I make that decision."_

Taking a deep breath, Amy left the bathroom and headed back down the hall. However, as she entered the living room, she stopped in the doorway and stared at the sight before her. Zen was now sitting on the loveseat next to Echo Girl, the young beauty's face inches from his own as one of her palms rested against his forehead. Zen's face was the color of a cherry as looked at her with wide eyes, sweat pouring down the side of his neck.

"Zen, are you sure you're not sick? Your face is all red and your skin feels hot." Echo Girl cooed, knowing full well the true reason for the actor's flushed cheeks.

"I-I'm positive. It's just the heat, that's all." Zen stated as he pulled free from her touch and took a deep breath to calm his racing heart.

Before either of the stars saw her, Amy hastily ducked back into the hallway and pressed her back against the cool surface of the wall. She didn't know why but her stomach was churning nauseously as a sensation like liquid fire scorching her insides raced through her veins. Her chest felt tight, making it hard to breathe, and each time her heart beat, a sharp throb followed.

 _"What's wrong with me? Why do I feel so...angry?"_

Hearing Echo Girl sigh loudly, Amy found herself listening closely to whatever was going on in the next room.

"Zen, I wanted to talk to you about your...friend. That's all she is, right?"

To her surprise, Amy instinctively held her breath as she strained to hear Zen's answer.

"Yeah, she's my friend." Zen replied, though his usually suave voice sounded a little shaky.

A sharp pain ripped through Amy's chest.

 _"Why...Why did that hurt so much? We ARE just friends, that's all. What else was he supposed to say?"_ She thought to herself.

"Well, and don't take this the wrong way, but should she really be staying with you if she's nothing more than a friend? You know how the media is. They take what we say and do and twist it to mean something else entirely. Why give them more fuel? You have a reputation to unhold; don't throw away over someone like her. I'm sure she has other friends who would be more than willing to let her stay with them." Echo Girl continued, her voice soft and seductive like the song of a siren.

Zen remained unusually silent as a mighty tension loomed in the air like a thick fog. To Amy, the silence was deafening, drowning out even the thunderous pounding of her heart as it pounded against her chest, trying to break free.

"Echo, if that's all you came to say then I think it is time that you leave. I need to help Amy unpack and get settled in." Zen's voice finally replied rather coldly.

"Zen, I'm just trying to look out for you-"

"And I'm touched by that. However, I've made my decision and I've agreed to deal with the consequences, regardless of what they are. Case closed."

Amy's heart leaped in her chest as a broad smile stretched across her face. Standing up and straightening to her clothes, she casually sauntered into the living room as if she had just come from her room and was completely oblivious to what had just occurred between the two celebrities. She was happy to see that Zen had migrated from the loveseat to a recliner only big enough for one, and out of the corner of her eye, she drank in the priceless irritation painted on Echo Girl's face. Her eyes sparkling mischievously, she strutted over to Zen and placed a hand on his shoulder to get his attention, an action that caused the brunette to go stiff.

"Zen, I'm having some trouble with my stuff. I'm not sure where I should put it all. If you're not too busy, do you think you could help me?" she purred, smiling down at him.

Zen seemed to relax beneath Amy's touch and a look of relief flooded his features.

"Of course. In fact, I think Kyungju was just about to leave." he said.

Amy's brow furrowed in confusion. "Who?"

"Zen, I told you I don't like being called by my real name!" Echo Girl whined, her face red from a mixture of anger and embarrassment.

Snickering internally, Amy turned to Zen and continued, "Actually Zen, before we start, could I have some of that water you offered earlier? I'm feeling pretty parched. I can show your guest to the door for you."

Zen raised a questioning eyebrow at Amy, who winked in reply before practically waltzing over to the flustered Echo Girl.

"Echo, do you want to borrow a pair of my shoes? Those heels can't be comfortable." she cooed with the same artificial sweetness the starlet had gushed when they first met.

"I'm fine, thanks. My feet are suddenly feeling much better." Echo Girl replied curtly as she stood up and brushed past Amy, purposely hitting her shoulder. Smirking, Amy hurried after her and hastily grabbed the door, holding it open for the starlet.

"Oh, I have a word of advice for you before you go, Kyungju. Worry less about Zen and more about yourself from now on." she stated smugly as the girl started to leave.

Echo Girl immediately stopped and turned to glare at her.

"You should heed your own advice, Amethyst Hall, because this is far from over." she growled before storming off the porch.

Satisfied, Amy shut the door and turned to go back to the living room only to jump at the sight of Zen standing behind her.

"So you were listening." he said, his lips curving into a knowingly smile.

Amy rolled her eyes and brushed past the actor before he could notice her red cheeks. "I was not, and even if was, you can't prove it."

Chuckling, Zen reached out and wrapped an arm around Amy's waist, causing her to squawk in surprise as she was pulled against his chest.

"You don't have to worry, Amy. Kyungju and I will never have a relationship like this one." he cooed in her ear.

"Zen, let me go!" Amy shouted as she pushed down on his arms, squirming frantically in his grasp.

"There's no need to be embarrassed, Amy. You can admit you're jealous." Zen teased.

"I am not jealous!" Amy exclaimed before stomping down hard on Zen's foot and pulling free from his grasp when his grip slackened.

Zen laughed warmly despite the sharp throbbing in his foot. "The fact that you are denying it so profusely only serves to confirm my suspicion."

"Whatever. Just grab my water and then meet me in the guest room." Amy snapped before barreling down the hall, informing the actor's chuckles as they echoed behind her.

 _"I am not jealous! I am NOT jealous!"_


	10. Fellowship of the RFA

**Author's Note**

 **Hey guys! It's Lilah-chan!**

 **So, here's the deal. I just started an IG account where I'll be posting updates, hints, and more little tidbits about my books along with some of my artwork. Totally up to you guys if you want to follow or not, but I hope you will!**

 **Instagram: lilahashwoodfanfic**

 **Okay, that's all. Resume your lives. I'll get back to the drawing board.**

* * *

As she hung her last outfit in the guestroom's large closet, a satisfied smile graced Amy's lips. However, it quickly disappeared when she noticed Zen smirking at her from over his shoulder as he straightened the fluffy comforter on her bed.

"What?" she snapped, scowling at him.

"Aw, don't tell me you're still mad at me? I was just playing around, Amy." the actor purred as he rose to his feet and approached her from behind. However, as he tried to wrap his arms around her in a leisurely hug, she abruptly pulled away with an indignant huff. Zen's smile wavered slightly.

"Amy, you're not actually mad, right? You're just playing around with me, right?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with worry.

Now it was Amy's turn to smirk.

"I don't know, Zen. Am I?" She cooed deviously, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Zen groaned loudly. "Amy! Don't play with me like that!"

Amy started to chuckle and playfully elbowed her host in the ribs. "What's the matter? Can't take your own medicine?"

"Not when it's from a pretty girl like you." Zen said, flashing her another one of his signature smiles.

Amy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're as cheesy as they come."

"Hey, that means I go great with wine." Zen retorted. He immediately paled afterwards. "Crap, I just sounded like Seven."

Amy snorted in amusement. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Trust me, it is."

"Hey, I heard that!"

Amy and Zen both jumped three feet in the air before whirling around to see Saeyoung standing in the guestroom's doorway, fiddling with his phone.

"Seven?! What the heck are you doing here?! How did you even get in?!" Zen exclaimed.

"Well, I was going to knock but I decided to pick the lock and let myself in instead because it would be cooler." Saeyoung replied nonchalantly as he returned his phone to his hoodie pocket and approached the duo.

"You're lucky we're friends or I would call the cops on you for breaking and entering." Zen grumbled.

"Eh, it wouldn't be the first time."

Amy eyed the redhead with an air of caution. "So, you're 707?"

Saeyoung shot the woman a smile before giving her a clumsy bow. "Please, call me Seven the Scarlet, lovely maiden Amethyst. It is an honor to finally make your acquaintance, and I must tell you, the image my crystal ball showed me did little to highlight your true beauty."

Zen stared at his friend with a disturbed look marring his chiseled features. "Seven, what are you doing?"

"I'm joining your little roleplay, duh! You're Zen the White Knight, she's the fair but feisty Princess Amethyst, and I'm the beloved, all-powerful, all-knowing, undeniable handsome wizard Seven the Scarlet." Seven crowed, grinning like an idiot.

"I'm not sure of how to respond to that." Amy stated, her expression mirroring Zen's.

"Seven, please tell me you didn't break into my house just to harass my guest." Zen stated flatly, his hands planted on his hips in a rather sassy manner.

"Of course not! What do I look like, a savage? No, I came here to set up for the party of course!"

Amy raised an eyebrow as she gave Zen a questioning look. "A party? You're having a party, Zen?"

"No, I'm not. What's this party you're talking about, Seven?" Zen asked his friend.

"Huh? Oh! I must have forgotten to send you the text! Oh well, I'm already here so it's not like it matters." Seven smiled, shrugging his shoulders.

Zen's ruby red eyes narrowed. "That wasn't an answer my question, Seven. What party?"

"Well, after you and Amy logged out of the chatroom earlier, Yoosung, Jaehee, and I started talking about wanting to meet Amy in person, and Jumin came up with the idea for us to throw a housewarming/congratulations-for-escaping-from-your-psycho-dad party so we could!"

Zen's eyebrow twitched spastically as a dark cloud of shadow settled over his face.

"Jumin suggested that, huh? Of course he did, the rich bastard." the albino actor grumbled bitterly.

"Um Seven, when exactly is this party taking place?" Amy asked.

Seven glanced down at his watch "In about two hours."

"Two hours?!" Zen and Amy exclaimed in unison.

"Yep! Speaking of which, we have a lot of work to get done so let's quit jabbering and start moving people! Amy darling, I'm going to need you to change into something slightly more sophisticated. It doesn't have to be over the top fancy or anything, but it needs to shout 'Look at me! I'm the girlfriend of a famous actor!'"

"She isn't my girlfriend!" Zen protested.

"Sure she isn't, and I'm mentally insane."

"You are, actually."

"And you're hosting a party in an hour and fifty-seven minutes, so less lip and more dip!"

Zen's face scrunched up in confusion. "Dip?"

"Yes dip! I brought supplies over to make homemade bean dip to go with my Honey Buddha chips and you're helping me! Amy, you just focus on getting nice and dolled up; Zen and I will handle everything else." Saeyoung stated before grabbing Zen's hand and dragging him out of the guestroom, leaving Amy alone and rather perplexed.

 _"What just happened?"_

* * *

"Mmm, this dip is amazing! Zen, you need to try this!"

"Seven, you completely destroyed my kitchen!" Zen shrieked as he stared at the array of bowls, bags, and stray beans littering his countertop. Saeyoung only shrugged in response before grabbing another Honey Buddha chip from the massive bag sitting in his lap and completely submerging it in the fresh dip.

Clenching his fists, Zen opened his mouth to scold the redhead but stopped when his eyes landed on the doorway. Saeyoung followed his gaze and immediately let out a wolf whistle.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Amy blushed as she straightened the blue dress and fiddled with the sleeves of her leather jacket for the umpteenth time. Most of her hair hung down in pretty ringlets, but a small piece on each side of her head was drawn back to form a half halo. As for her makeup, it was light and feminine, using light pinks and nude colors to give her a sweet, gentle look.

"Wow...you look amazing, Amy! However, there's something missing. Stay right there!" Zen stated before rushing past her. He returned a moment later and held up a humble black choker for Amy to see.

"May I?" he asked as he undid the clasp on the necklace.

Amy nodded and turned her back to him, holding her hair out of the way so he could see. As Zen's fingers brushed against the skin of her neck, an involuntary shiver shot down her spine, but the actor didn't seem to notice. However, a certain redhead did notice and shot Amy a knowing smile, earning himself a death glare as her blush darkened.

"There, that better-Amy, are you alright? Your face is all red. The necklace isn't too tight, is it?!" Zen asked when he noticed her flushed cheeks.

"No, it's fine. I was just thinking about how I'll be meeting all of your close friends and wound up making myself nervous." Amy lied as she twiddled her fingers like a bashful schoolgirl who was talking to her crush.

Zen couldn't help but smile fondly at Amy as he turned her around to face him and gently grasped her chin between his thumb and forefinger.

"Don't be; they're going to love you." He cooed, his scarlet irises peering earnestly into her blue ones. Reaching over, he began to gently tug her jacket off of her shoulders. "You could be overheating too; why don't you save this jacket for later when it's cooler?"

Amy's heart thundered loudly in her ears as her body went completely stiff. Her eyes remained glued on Zen as he removed her jacket with the tenderest of care, his fingers ghosting over the skin of her arms and leaving goosebumps in their wake. As the jacket slipped off of her arms, the albino made the mistake of glancing back at Amy's face and his face immediately turned cherry red when he noticed how close he was to her.

"I-I'll go put this away for you." he mumbled bashfully and quickly pulled away before leaving the room again, keeping his head low to hide his flushed cheeks.

As soon as Zen was gone, Saeyoung started laughing loudly, causing Amy to whirl around and scowl at him.

"What's so funny?" She barked defensively.

"You two, of course! The look on your face when Zen started removing your jacket was priceless!" Saeyoung explained between chuckles.

"It couldn't have been that funny." Amy grumbled in response.

"Trust me, it was. So, when you going to tell him that you're crushing on him?" Saeyoung smiled, a mischievous sparkle in his eye.

"I'm not crushing on him. Zen is just a good friend." Amy stated flatly, crossing her arms.

"You can lie with your lips but not with your eyes, and your eyes are telling me Zenpai is your senpai." Saeyoung cooed.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "How the heck are you engaged to MC?"

"I have no clue; now stop trying to change the subject! When are you going to tell Zen that you like him?"

"There's nothing to tell! I don't like him!"

"Ah, you can fool yourself, princess, but you can't fool Seven the Scarlet."

"Whatever. You're crazy."

"And you're in denial."

Amy clenched her jaw and raised her hand to smack the smug redhead but stopped as the ringing of the doorbell echoed through the house.

"They're here!" Saeyoung exclaimed as he leaped from his chair and made a mad dash for the front door. However, the klutz tripped over his own two feet and collapsed in the middle of the floor. Shaking her head, Amy stepped over him and opened the door to see Jumin, MC, a boy with purple eyes and blonde hair, and a short-haired woman in a suit standing on Zen's porch.

"Amy!" Yoosung exclaimed excitedly as he threw his arms around her.

"Yoosung, let the poor woman go. She has no idea who you are." Jaehee scolded the blonde. "Forgive him. Despite being in college, he still has the maturity of a five year old."

"Jaehee, you're so mean!" Yoosung whined.

"It's alright." Amy's chuckled and returned Yoosung's hug before pulling away and ushering everyone inside.

"Here, Amy, I got these for you on my way over. I hope you like them!" Yoosung smiled as he handed Amy a bouquet of buttercups.

"Aw, that was very sweet of you. Thank you." Amy smiled as she gingerly accepted the flowers.

Jumin raised an eyebrow when he noticed Saeyoung laying on the floor. "Luciel, why are you on the floor?"

"Because it'll hurt too much to get up." Saeyoung moaned in reply.

Amy raised an eyebrow. "Luciel?"

"It's his baptismal name." Jaehee explained. "I'm Mr. Han's assistant, Jaehee Kang, by the way. It is nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well; you have my condolences." Amy replied.

Jaehee's lips curved upwards ever so slightly. "Thank you."

At that moment, Zen rounded the corner and flashed his award-winning smile at everyone other than Jumin.

"Welcome everyone! Feel free to take a seat. Seven, get off of my floor." he stated. Noticing the flowers in Amy's arms, he asked, "Where did those come from?"

"Oh, Yoosung got them for me. Do you have a vase or something I can put them in?" Amy asked.

Zen glanced at Yoosung with a raised eyebrow before taking the flowers from Amy. "Yeah sure. Let me take care of that right now."

As Zen hurried into the kitchen with the flowers, the rest of the group settled down on the couches and chairs of the living room and sat in uncomfortable silence.

"So...you are the other members of the RFA? What does RFA stand for exactly? No one ever told me." Amy said, wanting to disperse the awkwardness clinging to the air.

"It stands for the Roma Fundraising Association. Rika was our founder." Yoosung answered, a sad smile on his face.

"Rika huh? Is she not coming?" Amy asked.

The deathly silence resumed for a moment.

"No, she couldn't make it." Jumin answered gravely.

Amy frowned when she noticed everyone's long faces.

 _"Did I say something wrong?"_ she worried.

Fortunately, when Zen entered the room with bowls of snacks in his arms, the depressing atmosphere cleared and the bright smiles returned.

"Really, Zen? You couldn't have gotten anything better than this commoner food?" Jumin complained as he eyed the food in disgust.

"If you don't like the food then you can leave and buy you own, or even better yet, you can host the party next time." Zen snapped in reply.

"They really don't get along, do they?" Amy whispered to Jaehee.

"Not at all. Although, Mr. Han doesn't get along with most people."

"Glad to know I'm not the only one."

"So, Amy, what do you do for a living?" Yoosung asked as he grabbed some Honey Buddha chips.

"Well, I'm finishing up my last year of college at the moment. After that, I was looking at getting a job at a local library till my writing career takes off." Amy stated.

"That sounds fun, though I hate writing papers so maybe not." Yoosung stated, earning a chuckle from Amy.

"Amy, I have a really important question to ask you that could save or destroy society as we know it. Which is better: cats or dogs?" Saeyoung exclaimed.

Amy blinked in confusion. "Um, both?"

"You can't choose both! That defies the laws of the universe! It's like putting pineapple on a pizza; it isn't right!"

"Hey, I happen to like pineapple on my pizza, thank you very much!" Yoosung protested.

"Well you're not normal so your opinion doesn't count."

"I'm more normally than you!"

"Would you both shut up? You're giving me a headache." Jumin grumbled.

"If you're not feeling good then why don't you go home?" Zen snapped.

"Trust me, if we were doing this for you, I would, but I'm here for Amy." Jumin replied.

"So Amy, you been in touch with your sister since your great escape? Emerald, right?" Saeyoung asked.

Everyone immediately went quiet as Amy's face fell.

"No...No, I haven't. Um, could you excuse me for a moment?" she said and left the room before anyone could protest. The others immediately turned and glared daggers at him.

"What? What did I do?" The redhead asked.

Jumin rolled his eyes before and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Unbelievable."

"Seriously, what did I do?"

"Oh, Saeyoung." MC groaned, shaking her head.

As the others started to give the hacker a long lecture, Zen quietly crept out of the livingroom and scurried towards Amy's bedroom. Inside, he found her seated on her bed, her phone pressed firmly against her ear.

"Pick up. Please please pick up." she pleaded, her lip quivering as she drummed her fingers nervously against her leg. When her call went to voicemail, she angrily chucked her phone at her pillow before burying her face on her hands. Frowning, Zen quietly crept over to her side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Amy? Are you alright?"

"I'm so selfish, Zen! All this time, I never once tried to get ahold of my sister to make sure she was okay. Knowing my dad, he probably flipped out and took all his anger out on her. Now she isn't answering and I'm worried something really bad happened." Amy lamented.

"Amy, your father probably just took her phone like he did yours. Don't get yourself too riled up." Zen cooed comforting as he gently pushed her hands away from her face and wiped her tears with his thumb.

"You don't know him like I do, Zen. He probably has her confined to the house with zero methods for contacting the outside world, and it's all my fault."

"You can't blame yourself for his irrationality."

"But I can for other things."

Zen sighed loudly and pulled the woman into a hug. "Amy, forgive me if this seems blunt, but you blaming yourself isn't going to get us anywhere. If you want to help your sister, then we need to put our heads together and think of a way to get her away from your father as well. Now, how old is your sister?"

"She-She'll be turning nineteen in a few weeks."

"Which means she'll be a legal adult and your father can't force her to stay with him!"

Amy laughed bitterly. "Zen, I thought you would've figured out by now that things like that don't matter to my father."

"Maybe not, but it matters to the law."

"You wouldn't."

"If it would free your sister and ease your conscience, I would."

The faintest traces of a smile appeared on Amy's lips as she buried her face into Zen's chest. "Zen...thank you. You've done so much for me even though I can't pay you back. You're an angel."

"Well, I know a certain C&R director who would disagree with you but I'm not complaining." Zen joked, his heart leaping excitedly when a soft chuckle escaped Amy's lips.

"Amy?"

Zen and Amy both looked up to see MC, Yoosung, Jaehee, Jumin, and Saeyoung standing in the doorway of the guestroom. Balanced on one of Saeyoung's arms was a laptop.

"Aw, Amy, don't cry!" Yoosung exclaimed as he hurried to her side and wrapped her in a hug. Zen's eyebrow immediately started to twitch.

"Go on, Luciel, tell her." Jaehee stated.

Blushing, Saeyoung lowered himself down onto the bed, cringing when he noticed the death glare Zen was giving him, and slid the laptop over to Amy. Displayed on the screen was a flickering image of what appeared to be the main foyer of her house.

"What's this?" Amy asked, clearly confused.

"My form of an apology. I hacked into the feed of your dad's security cameras. You can flip through the different cameras if you want; I left it on this one to be safe and make sure I didn't see something I shouldn't. For a wealthy businessman, your dad's firewall sucked." Saeyoung stated.

Eyes widening, Amy hastily flipped through the different feeds till she found the one of her sister's bedroom. Fresh tears flooded down her cheeks when she saw her sister sitting on her bed, staring blankly at a picture tucked in an ornate silver frame. Even though so couldn't see it, Amy knew what the picture was off because it was the only picture her sister ever bothered to frame. It was a picture their father had taken of his daughters and their mother at a beach during a vacation to the Bahamas the summer before he and their mom divorced. As she started to cry again, Amy was pulled back into Zen's chest as Yoosung gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"We'll get her out of there, Amy; I promise." MC stated as she approached her friend and rubbed her back.

"We'll all help; after all, you're one of us now." Saeyoung said as he offered Amy a weak smile.

"W-What do you mean?" Amy asked as she wiped her eyes.

"Well, you're not exactly an official member, but the moment you first entered the RFA chatroom, you became part of our family. Now it's our job to help you and support you like a real, non-sucky family would." Seven replied.

"It is extremely likely that your father will still be in contact with Chairman Han, so Mr. Han and myself can serve as informants." Jaehee offered kindly.

"I'll keep watching the security feeds and hack into the phone lines too." Seven stated.

"And myself, Zen, and MC can be your emotional support group. Here," Yoosung added, handing Amy a tissue.

"You...You all barely know me. Why are you doing this?" Amy blubbered as she dabbed the corner of her eyes with the tissue.

"Seriously?! Did she not hear the whole spill about us being family now? Okay, let's take this from the top." Saeyoung exclaimed only for MC to shove a bag of Honey Buddha chips in his face to distract him.

"We're doing this because we care, Amy." Zen stated as he gently tilted her chin so she was looking directly at his face.

"I-I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just smile instead; you look prettier when she smile!" Yoosung said, obviously to Zen's murderous stare. Saeyoung bit his lips to keep from laughing out loud.

Glancing around at all of her news friends, Amy allowed a broad grin to grace her features, a sight that made Zen's heart melt.

"Everyone...thank you."

* * *

When he heard the door to his study swing open, Chul Hall glanced up from his writings to see a butler standing by the door.

"What is it?" he asked curtly.

"Sir, there is a young woman here to see you claiming to have information about your daughter, Amethyst." the butler replied, keeping his head down and eyes glued to the floor.

Raising an eyebrow, Mr. Hall gracefully stood up from his desk and grabbed his pipe before approaching the window off to his right.

"Show her in." he stated as he gazed out at the night sky and lit his pipe.

"Yes sir."

After a few minutes of silence, the door to the study squeaked open again and the sound of heels clicking against the wooden floor greeted Mr. Hall's ears. Turning around, he masked his surprise when he beheld a beautiful lady with vibrant blue eyes and a youthful face gazing up at him.

"Is something the matter?" she asked in a voice that resembled the sweet ringing of bells.

"Forgive me. I am just surprised to see a child standing in my study."

"I am not a child!" the woman huffed indignantly, stomping her foot in a way that seemed counterproductive. "My name is Echo Girl, and I have a proposition for you regarding your daughter Amethyst and the actor known as Zen."


	11. Princesses Don't Take Breaks

When she woke up the next morning, Amy was surprised to hear the clanging of pots and pans filling the air. Rising quickly, she hurried from her room and into the kitchen to see Zen frying eggs on the stove.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" the albino cooed when he noticed her.

"Zen, what are you doing here?! Shouldn't you be at work?" Amy exclaimed.

"The director's wife went into labor this morning so shooting has been postponed for a few days. Why? Do you want not want me around?" Zen replied with a wink.

Amy's heart instinctively started to beat faster and butterflies began to swarm in her stomach.

 _"No! No no no no no! Bad Amy! Stop that! Ugh, great! Now I'm fighting with myself. Psyche ward here I come."_ she thought to herself.

"N-No, it's not that. I just don't want you skipping more work because of me. I would feel awful if you got fired." she managed to stutter, nervously playing with the hair tie wrapped around her wrist.

"Don't worry about things like that, your majesty. If I lose one contract, I can just get another one." Zen stated cheerfully.

"But if you keep blowing off jobs, people will stop hiring you. You can't be foolish!" Amy declared indignantly.

A smile crept onto Zen's lips as he slid the skillet off of the stove and turned to his house guest.

"I won't be. I promise." he cooed, taking one of Amy's hands and kissing it.

Amy's cheeks flushed bright red as her mind temporarily shut down, leaving her to just stare at the actor with wide eyes. Zen eyed her shocked expression with a hint of concern.

"Amy, is something the matter?"

"N-No. I-I'm still just half asleep." Amy lied hurriedly, looking away to avoid eye contact with Zen while she silently cursed herself for being careless.

"Well, I think I have something that can help with that. Which sounds better to you: green tea or coffee?"

"Mmm, I'm going to put a ton of sugar in either one so let's go with the tea since it's supposed to be a little bit healthier, I think." Amy replied as she sat down on a stool along the island countertop in the kitchen and rested her head on her arms. A loud and rather unladylike yawn left her lips as she listened to the sound of water bubbling, food frying, and birds chirping.

"Ugh, since when have mornings been so loud? They're supposed to be quiet and peaceful, not full of racket." the woman grumbled, closing her eyes to block out the piercing light of the morning sun.

Zen chuckled in amusement. "It sounds like someone didn't get very much sleep last night."

"Well of course not! I was up all night catching up on all the college work I missed. I'm so close to graduating; I can't afford to fail now." Amy mumbled in reply.

"That sounds stressful." Zen mused as he scraped some eggs onto a plate and set it down before his guest.

"You have no idea. I only got through half of the work last night and have to finish it today."

"It sounds like you could use a break."

"I don't have time."

"Don't be silly. Everyone can afford to take a break, even if it's just a short one." Zen purred as he set Amy's tea in front of her as well before grabbing some coffee and a plate of food for himself. "Here, I've got an idea. If you let me take you out for a bit to calm your nerves, I'll help you with your homework."

Amy raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the actor. "I thought you didn't go to college."

"I didn't but how hard can it be? If I can't actually help then I can at least keep you company while also making a fool out of myself."

Amy giggled as her mind conjured an image of a frazzled Zen staring at her homework with a look of horror on his face.

 _"That would be rather amusing."_

"Alright, you've got a deal." Amy purred with a smile. "You have any ideas about what we should do?"

"Hmm, maybe just one." Zen replied with a smug smile as he reached into his pocket and produced two theatre tickets, setting them on the table. Amy read the title and raised an eyebrow.

"Tangled? Wasn't that a movie? When did it become a show?" she asked.

"Just recently. However, it isn't super popular since it community theatres have been the main ones putting on the productions."

"Judging by your tone, I assume you beg to differ."

A warm yet distant look captured Zen's eyes. "Community theatre was where I started. It was what got me through my troubles with my family and the lonely night after running away from home. It was where I made my debut and also where I got my big break as an actor. People give community theatres a bad rep but honestly they have more value than any non-actor could ever understand."

Unable to look away from the fond, passionate fire burning in her friend's eyes, Amy started to smile as well and hastily snatched up the tickets. "Then what are we waiting for? We better hurry up if we want to be on time."

"You haven't eaten yet though." Zen chuckled.

"I can overindulge on theater snacks later to make up for it! Meet me by the front door in ten to fifteen minutes on I'm leaving without you." Amy called before running out of the room. Zen merely shook his head in disbelief before shoveling a few forkfuls of eggs into his mouth and hurrying into his room.

* * *

"Zen? Amy?"

Amy turned and blinked in surprise when she saw Yoosung walking towards her. "Yoosung? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

"Shouldn't you?" Yoosung replied.

Amy gave a short laugh. "Touché. Still, I didn't take you for a theatre person."

"One of my LOLOL buddies is performing in the show so I came to support him. How about you?"

"Zen wanted to come and I needed to take a break from my work before my head exploded." Amy replied, causing Yoosung to chuckle.

"I feel ya there. College is hard! At least you're in the homestretch." the blonde smiled.

As he watched Amy and Yoosung continue to chatter back and forth, Zen felt his body start to grow hot. For some reason, the sight of his two friends conversing so casually and easily irked him, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end.

Yoosung suddenly gasped, his expression brightening. "Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't we sit together-"

"No." Zen cut in, his voice curt and flat.

Amy blinked in surprise. "Why not?"

"Yeah, why not?!" Yoosung whined.

"Because I said so!" Zen snapped.

As she stared at him in utter confusion, Amy noticed how tense Zen looked. His lips were pulled downward into a tight frown as he glared hostilely at Yoosung. It was only then that Amy realized how close Yoosung was standing to her, their shoulders just a hair's width apart and the backs of their hands brushing against one another. Almost instantly, a lightbulb went off in Amy's head, its light shining in her eyes as she shook her head in amusement and disbelief.

 _"He's such a dork."_ she thought to herself.

"It's okay, Yoosung. We can talk later on the messenger, okay?" Amy said as she stepped away from the blonde and looped her arm with Zen's.

"Aw, alright. I'll talk to you later. Enjoy the show!" Yoosung said, waving cutely as Amy was quickly escorted away by her albino companion.

"For an actor, you're pretty bad at your job, you know." Amy whispered to Zen as they slipped through the crowd towards the doors of the auditorium.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Zen replied, purposely looking everywhere other than his friend's face.

"Don't lie to me, Zen. I know you were jealous."

"Jealous? Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh? If that's the case, then I'll just text Yoosung and let him know we can sit together after all."

Zen's grip on Amy's arm tightened, his scarlet irises flashing fiercely as he stared down into her sparkling blue ones. Amy's smirk widened.

"Yep, you're so jealous. Oh, how the mighty have fallen." she sneered smugly, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

Zen sighed loudly in defeat. "Can you blame me? I set this up for just the two of us to do together, and next thing I know, Yoosung comes waltzing in and intrudes. Furthermore, he was being way too friendly after only just meeting you in person yesterday."

"That's funny coming from the dork who has known me for only a little over a week." Amy clucked playfully.

"Hey, this dork is the one who's buying your snacks so I would keep my mouth shut if I were you." Zen growled back, though his sly smile revealed he was merely jesting.

Grinning from ear to ear, Amy and Zen wandered into the theatre auditorium, which was still quite deserted. Locating two seats that were relatively close to the front of the room, Zen ushered Amy into her seat before draping his jacket over his own.

"I'll go grab us something to eat. What do you want?" he asked.

"Hmm…Surprise me." Amy purred, giving her escort a wink.

Smiling, Zen slipped his wallet out of the pocket of his jacket and disappeared. Meanwhile, Amy fished out her phone and fired off a quick text to Yoosung.

 ** _Amy: Thanks for being so understanding earlier._**

 _ **Yoosung: It's fine. Zen is a dork.**_

 ** _Amy: lol that he is._**

The soft thump of someone sitting down next to her caused Amy to look up from the screen of her phone. To her surprise, she saw a young man with shaggy brown hair, lightly tanned skin, and hazel eyes lounging in Zen's seat, his gaze fixed on her as he hungrily drank in all of her features and curves.

"Um, that's my friend's seat." Amy remarked.

"Sure it is, cutie. So, what's your name?" the brunette cooed, his forefinger brushing gently against Amy's chin.

Amy's eyes narrowed. "None of your business."

"Aw, don't be like that, princess. Tell you what, why don't you give me your number and I can take you out for a drink later?"

"Thanks but no thanks. I have other things to do that will be much better uses of my time."

"Ouch, you're so cold. Why don't you let me warm you up a bit?" The man purred, reaching his hand towards Amy's thigh.

"Excuse me, sir, but it appears that you're in my seat."

Amy breathed a sigh of relief as the brunette turned to see Zen looming behind him, a disapproving frown on his lips.

"Is that so? What are you going to do about it?" the flirt sneered.

"I could do a lot of things. I could physically fight you for the seat or I could publicly humiliate you. It all depends on your personal preference, really." Zen replied icily.

The brunette's eyes narrowed. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

"The name is Zen. You might have heard of me."

The man's jaw immediately dropped. "You're-"

"Shh! My lovely lady and I would like to remain as inconspicuous as possible, so if you could keep it down, that would be wonderful." Zen hissed, forcing a grin onto his face.

"I-I'm sorry. Don't sue me or whatever you people do when you get mad. I-I'll move." the man stuttered, rising to his feet.

"Splendid. Thank you so much." Zen purred as the man slipped past him and shuffled towards the back of the auditorium.

"You know he's probably going to start some rumor about us dating, right?" Amy said as her friend eased into his chair.

"So what if he does? Would that really be so bad? It would help keep slimeballs like him far away from you." Zen replied.

"It would also cause a social media uproar that neither of us want to deal with-"

"Hush! It's starting!" Zen whispered as the lights began to dim and the first notes of the opening tune floated through the air. Amy just rolled her eyes, snatched her food from Zen's hand, and slouched down in her seat, her eyes fixed on the stage. However, her look of boredom was soon replaced by a sincere interest as the first scene unfolded. Zen couldn't help but smile when he noticed the intrigue in his friend's eyes.

 _"It would be a hassle to deal with, but for you, it would be worth it."_

* * *

As the taxi pulled up in front of Zen's house, Amy bolted out of the vehicle and up the walkway as Zen paid the driver and hurried after her.

"Amy, wait!"

"I can't believe you, Zen! We've been gone almost two hours! Two hours! At this rate I'll be up all night again doing make up work!" Amy exclaimed, pacing anxiously back and forth on the porch as she waited for the actor to unlock the door.

Zen hastily caught her in his arms. "Amy, just calm down. I think you're overreacting."

Amy glared murderously at the male, sending chills down his spine. "Zen, you never tell a woman she's overreacting. Ever."

"Alright, but are you seriously telling me you would prefer to not have gone?" Zen asked.

Amy grew quiet for a moment.

"I wouldn't say that...I'm just stressed, that's all." She finally replied.

"Why? You're going to finish; I know it."

Amy sighed loudly and leaned against Zen for support. "Well, that makes one of us."

"Hmm, tell you what, you go start on your homework while I make you some soothing tea, okay?" Zen stated as he unlocked the door and pushed it open.

"Okay." Amy replied, reluctantly removing herself from Zen's embrace and trekking down the hall. Entering her room and flopping down onto her bed, she opened her laptop and selected the assignment she had been working on most recently. Before too long, the clinking of a porcelain teacup and dish and the patter of a pair of feet echoed behind her, signaling Zen's arrival. However, a squeal of surprise left Amy's lips when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her and a toned chest pressed against her back.

"Zen, what the heck are you doing?!" she shrieked as her face started to resemble a living cherry.

"What does it look like? I'm helping! I'm not very good at books or school so I'm providing emotional support and stability instead." Zen replied, sounding rather pleased with himself. "Now go on. Act like I'm not even here."

Biting her lip, Amy turned her gaze back to her laptop and started to type again, but her strokes were now slower and more indecisive.

 _"Ugh, I can't think now!"_

Zen frowned when he noticed Amy's brows pinching together in intense concentration. "Is something wrong, Amy?"

"N-No! I'm fine. I was just looking for the right word." Amy replied rather quickly, mentally kicking herself when she realized how desperate she sounded. However, the return of Zen's smile banished those worries to the back of her mind and sent a pulse of warmth through her body.

"Alright. Don't work yourself too hard though; you don't have to be perfect." Zen purred softly before resting his face against Amy's back and giving it a soft nuzzle.

Amy felt her face heating up again, but rather than scold the actor, she held her tongue. As she turned back to her work, a faint smile tugged at her lips as the flock of butterflies Zen had awakened continued to flutter around in her stomach.

 _"This dork doesn't seem to know the difference between flirting and giving a compliment, but I'm not complaining."_ she chuckled to herself. _"After all, getting this kind of attention from him isn't so bad, not that I'm going to tell him that. His ego is already inflated enough."_


	12. Mischief and Migraines

"Ugh…"

When her eyes opened, a sharp wave of pain shot through her skull, causing her to clamp them shut again. Moaning, she blindly felt around the mattress, searching for her phone but she wound up smacking a slumbering Zen in the face instead.

"What are you doing?" Zen mumbled through her hand, opening one eye to shoot her a question look.

"Looking for my phone." Amy replied.

"With your eyes closed?"

"Yep. Now give me a hand."

Frowning, Zen scanned the sheets with his scarlet eyes till they landed on the desired object.

"Found it." he said, reaching out and grabbing the device.

"Good. Now give it here."

Zen's frown deepened. "Open your eyes first."

Groaning in annoyance, Amy slowly forced her eyelids apart only to slam them together again as the same sharp pain clawed at her brain, rousing a whimper from her threat as her hand rose to caress her throbbing head.

"Just as I suspected; you have a migraine. I think I'll be holding onto this for a while." Zen said as he stood up from the bed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Zen. Give me my phone!" Amy protested as she struggled to sit up, opening one eye to glare at him.

"No. You need to rest. I think I'll be taking this too." Zen stated, snatching up Amy's laptop as well.

"No! Zen, give it back! I still haven't finished all of my work!" Amy exclaimed, crawling to the edge of the bed and making a wild grab for her computer.

"My first concern is your health, not your grades. Now lay back down and don't get up. I'll be back in a moment with some tea and pain medicine." Zen replied before tucking her laptop under his arm and swiftly exiting the room.

"Zen, get back here, you twit!" Amy grumbled as she tried to stand up but a ferocious wave of dizziness sent her falling back onto her bed. Groaning, she mustered up just enough strength to crawl beneath the warmth of the covers and allowed her head to drop back onto the fluffy pillow. As she stared blankly at the ceiling above, Amy found her fingers drumming anxiously against the mattress.

 _"Ugh, this is ridiculous. I could be finishing so much work right now but instead I'm stuck lying here, being completely unproductive. I have to get my work done or it's just going to continue to pile up and the next thing I know I'm going to be drowning in work-"_

Another sharp throb interrupted Amy's thoughts as she moaned in pain.

"I don't have time for this. I have to get my work done, regardless of how I feel." she mumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose in an attempt to ease the pain she felt. After casting a quick glance at the door, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and shakily stood up. Once her legs stopped trembling, she shuffled as fast as she could out of the room and down the hall, carefully watching and listening for any signs of Zen.

 _"Hmm, it sounds like he's in the kitchen. He probably has my stuff in there with him."_ Amy reasoned as she tiptoed towards the kitchen doorway. Sure enough, as she stealthily snuck into the room, Amy's eyes immediately landed on her phone and laptop as they sat quietly on the counter just behind Zen. Biting her lip, Amy ducked back into the hallway and leaned against the wall for suppout as she tried to think of a plan.

 _"Should I try distracting him with something? No, he's too smart for that. I guess my only option is to try and take it while he isn't looking. Easier said than done, of course."_ she thought to herself. Taking a deep breath, she snuck another glance into the kitchen to see Zen twirling his ponytail around his finger as he waited for he waited for the water in the tea kettle to come to a boil. Holding her breath to reduce any unnecessary noise, Amy took one cautious step into the kitchen, followed by another and another. Stretching out her hands, Amy carefully wrapped her fingers around the edge of the laptop and quietly lifted it into the air; however, at that exact moment, the tea kettle decided to give a loud scream, causing Amy to yelp in surprise and drop her laptop and phone with a thud. Whirling around, she tried to sprint for the door but a strong arm quickly wrapped itself securely around her waist and lifted her into the air.

"And where do you think you're going?" Zen purred, pouring the water into the tea cup with his other hand.

"Zen, put me down right now! I mean it!" Amy exclaimed, wriggling about I his grasp like a worm on a hook.

Sighing, Zen grabbed the tea and promptly continued to carry it and Amy back to the spare bedroom. After setting the tea to steep on the bedside table, the actor proceeded to flop down onto the bed with Amy still in his grasp and trap her in a tight hug.

"Zen, knock it off! I have to get my work done! Let go of me already!" Amy screeched as she tried in vain to pry his arms from around her.

"Not until you've calmed down. Right now you aren't thinking clearly and until you start, I'm keeping you right here where I can keep an eye on you." Zen replied bluntly, resting his chin on top of Amy's head.

"But Zen, you don't understand! If I don't finish all of this work today, I'll get even farther behind than I already am! Please, just let me do something, just one itty bitty assignment to ease my conscience a bit! Is that truly too much to ask?"

"Yes. No stop arguing with me and close your eyes."

Scowling, Amy laid her head against Zen's chest and stared at the ceiling just as she had done earlier.

 _"There's got to be some way to make him let me go. Come on, Amy, think!"_

"Zen, I need to go to the bathroom."

Zen's eyebrow arched suspiciously. "Do you? Well, isn't that convenient?"

Amy simply shrugged her shoulders and offered the male a bashful smile. "The bladder abides by no time schedule other than its own."

"Indeed. Hold on tight?"

"What? Eek!" Amy squealed in surprise as the actor lifted her up bridal style and carried her into the hall. "Zen, what are you doing?! I can walk myself to the bathroom, you know!"

"Oh, I know. I also know that you could very easily fake going to the bathroom and run to grab your laptop and phone instead. If you truly only need to relieve yourself then you won't mind me waiting outside the door for you."

"That's really stalkerish, you know."

"You only have yourself to blame."

Sighing in defeat, Amy allowed herself to be carried to the bathroom and gently deposited onto the floor.

"Just call me if you need anything." Zen cooed before slipping out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Scanning the bathroom, Amy quickly located the fluffiest towel present and proceeded to smush her face against it, screaming out all of her frustrations into it. Flopping down onto the toilet, she debated giving up and just waiting to do her work later, but after a few moments of deducing the consequences of such action, that idea was quickly scrapped.

 _"I have to get him away from the door. What kind of request will he not be able to refuse?"_

After drumming her fingers thoughtfully against her chin for a moment, an idea so brilliant it was worthy of a gold medal popped into Amy's head, causing her to smile. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before?

"Ugh...Zen…" she moaned, her voice laced with the pain that only a woman could know.

"Amy? Is something the matter?" Zen asked worriedly through the door.

"Yeah? You know that box of pads I bought while we were out? Could you grab them for me?"

"O-Oh. OH! Yeah yeah, sure! Where are they?!"

"I think I stashed them in my closet."

"Alright! I'll be right back! I'll grab you some chocolate too! Just hold on!"

As the sound of running feet grew fainter and fainter, Amy leaped up from the toilet and cautiously opened the bathroom door. Upon seeing the vacant hallway, she allowed herself a few moments to celebrate and then made a beeline for the kitchen. Snatching up her phone and laptop, she spun around to run back into her room only to smack right into Zen as he was entering the kitchen to grab the chocolate. Definitely should've skipped that celebration.

"What is this? Amy, did you use my concern for your wellbeing against me? I'm both awed and disappointed." he stated, one hand resting sassily on his hip while the other reached out and plucked the laptop and phone from Amy's arms.

"I'm sorry, Zen, but I have to get my work done regardless of how I feel! You of all people should understand that! If I'm not mistaken, 707 said you continued to practice for this production with Echo Girl even when you broke your leg!" Amy protested.

"That situation and this one are completely different!"

"Oh really? How so?"

"Well for one, I heal faster than most people, and secondly, I had an entire team riding on my shoulders! I couldn't afford to take a break!"

"And neither can I! My entire life is riding on me getting this degree! Not everyone is lucky enough to be able to survive without a college degree like you, Zen!"

Everything immediately grew deathly silent as Amy's harsh words sank in. Immediately, a tiny seed of regret started to sprout in Amy stomach but she quickly cast it aside.

"Zen, give me my laptop and let me get back to my work." she said coldly, her hands clenching into fists.

"No."

Clenching her jaw, Amy lunged forward and made a wild swing for the computer, but Zen raised it high into the air and out of her reach.

"Idiot! Give it back! Don't make me hurt you!" Amy snapped, her face turning red with anger. When the actor did not return her device, she raised her leg and tried to hit his crotch, but the actor swiftly caught her foot before she could.

"Now that isn't very ladylike, princess." Zen cooed, a hint of amusement flickering his eyes.

"You think this is funny, Zen?! Is the frailty of my future some kind of joke to you?! Give me that laptop right now or so help me I'll...I'll…"

Zen's lips curved into an overly confident smirk. "You'll what?"

Amy felt her blood reach its boiling point. "That's it. You've left me no other choice, pretty boy. Time for the last resort."

Zen's brow furrowed in confusion till Amy suddenly pulled him down to her level and smacked her lips against his. Utterly shocked by her forwardness, he let go of the laptop and phone, allowing them to freefall through the air. Swiftly breaking the kiss, Amy dove for the devices, catching them just before they could hit the hare floor and barreled towards the hallway. However, Zen was quick to react as well and hastily grabbed hold of her wrist, yanking her back. Amy started to fight back but stopped when she saw the dark glimmer in the actor's scarlet irises. Before she could utter a single sound, Zen's lips were forcefully pressed against her own, sending her heart rate through the roof. Unsure of how to react, Amy just stood there dumbly as Zen nibbled on her bottom lip, prompting a slight whimper out of her.

"So that's how you want to play, Amy? Fine. I can play that way." he whispered huskily, his breath tickling her skin.

As the kiss resumed, Amy felt her grip on the phone and laptop lessening till Zen was able to slip them out of her arms and set them aside. With her hands now free, Amy sank her fingers into Zen's hair at the nape of his neck, her eyes closing as she allowed herself to get lost in the kiss. Slowly, her headache began to disappear, as did all other thoughts of college and work and life till she couldn't even remember what she had been so stressed about in the first place. All Amy could focus on was her and Zen's lips as they moved in sync like two pieces of an exclusive puzzle. When the screaming of her lungs finally became too loud to ignore, she pulled back and gasped for air, leaning against Zen for support.

"Think you can take a break now?" the actor whispered in her ear as he stroked her hair.

Still too dazed to speak, Amy only nodded in reply.

"Good. Now go drink you tea while I draw you a nice, steamy bath, okay?" Zen purred.

"O-Okay…" Amy mumbled distracted as she withdrew from his arms and ambled down the hallway. As soon as she was gone, Zen allowed his hand to fly up to his heart as he struggled to breathe.

"That was close. She almost got me. She's definitely a tricky one, that's for sure." he chuckled to himself as he made his way down the hall.

Meanwhile, as she took a sip of her now lukewarm tea, Amy couldn't help but ghost her fingers along her lips as she thought about Zen's kiss. Smiling, she started to blush and giggle like a giddy school girl as she replayed the moment over and over in her mind. For now, all the logic and suspicions that would have normally ruined the moment for her were silenced, allowing her to enjoy what had happened to the fullest. If there were consequences attached to what happened, and there undoubtedly would be, she would deal with them later; right now, her main focus was fangirling about getting a kiss from the hot actor who had been flirting with her for over a week straight.


	13. A Royal Dilemma

As soon as she opened her eyes the next morning, a sense of dread and unease washed over Amy, confusing her.

 _"Why do I feel so on edge-"_

Immediately, the kiss flashed across her mind, making her face go scarlet with embarrassment. Now that she had had a good night's sleep and time to recover, the weight of her actions from the day prior slammed down onto her shoulders, as did thoughts of all the possible negative outcomes that could manifest from it. As her heart hammered forcefully against the walls of her chest, Amy raised her fingers to gently brush along her lip as the memory of Zen's lips replayed so vividly in her head that she could practically feel them all over again. However, along with the sweet memories in crept the doubts born of years of being on the defensive.

 _"He just kissed me to get me back, right? He didn't actually mean it. He could have any girl in the world; he wouldn't settle for a moody, prissy, broken girl like me. No, he would go for someone more like Echo. He had to just been doing it to get me back...but what if he wasn't?"_

Amy was shocked by the uncharacteristic hint of optimism that had interjected itself amongst her pessimistic thoughts. Where was this coming from? This wasn't her normal thinking pattern. Life had groomed her from an early age to expect the worse and nothing less, so where was this positivity coming from? Only one answer made sense to her: Zen.

Sighing loudly, Amy flopped back down and stared up at the ceiling as she debated with herself.

 _"Why me though? What do I have to offer him?"_

 _"You have your sharp tongue, your sincere heart, your wits, your lovely shape, and your common interests. Plus, there are probably things you don't see in yourself that he does and he loves."_

 _"Is that enough though? Is that enough of a reason for him to actually love me?"_

 _"I don't know. I am just an extension of you after all."_

Groaning, Amy rolled onto her side and grabbed her phone. Opening it, she began to absentmindedly scroll through all of the pictures from the last week. In each photo, Zen's beaming smile and dazzling eyes stared back at her, making her heart thump loudly.

 _"I hate this. I hate all this uncertainty."_ Amy thought to herself as she brought her phone to her chest and held it close. _"Should I just ask him about it? What if I freak him out? It would make everything awkward between us from now on…..I need to know though."_

Setting her phone aside and swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Amy quietly shuffled out of her room and towards the kitchen. There, she found Zen cooking breakfast just as he had been the day before, although today he wasn't in his pajamas; instead, the actor was already dressed and groomed, the scent of soap and fresh cologne wafting off of him.

"Zen?" Amy called quietly.

Zen immediately looked up and locked eyes with her. "Ah, Amy! Good morning! Are you hungry?"

"Zen...are you going somewhere?" Amy asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I have a photoshoot today for a commercial I'm doing for C&R. Trust me, I would much rather stay home with you but I made a promise to MC to do it." Zen sighed.

"N-No, it's okay. Don't worry about it! It's fine!"

Zen's lips curved into a frown when he detected the hint of unease in his friend's voice. "Amy, is something bothering you?"

"Y-Yeah, kind of."

"What is it?"

"Zen…I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For kissing you the other day to get my laptop back. It wasn't right of me."

"What...Oh that! Don't worry about it. It's fine." Zen replied, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

"Heh, glad you're not mad..."

 _"Here it goes."_ Amy thought to herself.

"Zen, when you kissed me, you were just doing it to get me back, right?" she asked, holding her breath as she awaited his answer.

Zen grew unusually quiet as he set down his plate on the counter. The air in the house immediately grew so dense that Amy was wondering is she would need a machete to cut through it.

"No, I didn't." Zen answered finally.

Amy's heart skipped a beat. "So...why did you do it then?"

Slowly, Zen raised his eyes to meet hers and Amy noticed that his blush had darkened as well as spread to the rest of his face.

"Because I like you."

Despite Zen speaking in a voice barely above a whisper, Amy heard him as loudly as if he was talking on a loudspeaker. For a moment, she just stared at him with wide eyes, her heart thundering loudly in her eyes as her tongue sat like a dry brick in her mouth. A loud sigh escaped Zen's lips as he scooped the remainder of his breakfast into the garbage and placed his dish in the sink, having suddenly lost the rest of his appetite.

"I better get going. My phone is going to be off most of the time so call MC or Jaehee if you need anything, alright?" he muttered as he grabbed his phone and slid it into his pocket.

Still too surprised to talk, Amy only nodded in reply.

"I'll see you later then. Make sure you're extra cautious while I'm gone. Bye, Amy."

Amy watched silently as Zen left the kitchen. Inside her, her heart screamed for her to run after him but her mind kept her frozen in place as it continued to process Zen's words at the speed of an out of date computer. Before long, the sound of the front door opening and closing and the rev of Zen's motorcycle reached her ears, signaling that it was too late now.

 _"Zen...Zen likes me…"_

Immediately, Amy bolted back to her room and snatched up her phone, her fingers fumbling over the keys in her haste.

 ** _Amy: MC, I need to talk to you ASAP. Can we meet for lunch?_**

* * *

"Zen said that?"

Amy nodded, staring blankly at the glass of lemonade before her.

MC frowned. "And you're sure he wasn't just playfully flirting with you like usual?"

"He was being serious. I could tell. The atmosphere was so thick I thought I was going to choke on it."

"Hmm." MC mused, tapping her forefinger against her forefinger against her chin as she mulled over everything Amy had told her. "So you like him and he likes you...What's the problem here again?"

Amy groaned loudly and buried her face in her hands. "It doesn't feel right. It's too easy. Nothing in life comes that easily, especially not love!"

"So you think he's pulling your leg?"

"Yes...No...I don't know…"

MC just rolled her eyes and rather aggressively stabbed her straw through one of the strawberries in her drink. "Amy, just call him. You're seriously overcomplicating this."

"I can't. He's doing a shoot with C&R today."

"Wait, that was today?! Aw, I wanted to go watch, I mean chaperone….you know, to make sure he and Jumin didn't start fight."

Amy smiled weakly at her friend's poor attempt of a coverup. MC noticed and stuck her tongue out slightly, causing Amy to laugh. Eventually, MC broke into a fit of giggles as well, and the two girls laughed together for a few minutes, ignoring the disapproving looks they received from the other customers at the restaurant.

"Seriously though, just tell him you like him back. What's the worst that could happen?" MC continued once they both were able to breathe again.

"Things don't work out between us and our failed relationship destroys our friendship in the process."

"That's kind of overdramatic."

"It's a possibility."

"Yeah, a one out of ten thousand billion possibility."

"More like a one out of two."

"Ugh, you're so difficult, Amy! Just tell him you love him, smooch with him some more, and forget everything else. You've had enough hardship already; you deserve this so just take it already!" MC exclaimed.

Amy's face flushed bright red when she noticed the other customers staring at her. "MC, could you take it down a notch, please?"

"Could you stop being so stubborn and just confess already?"

"You make it sound easier than it actually is."

"That's because it is easy! You're the one who's overthinking it all!"

"But-"

"No buts, Amethyst! You are going to go home and you are going to tell Zen how you feel before I do it for you."

Amy sank down in her seat as her blush went from a light strawberry red to a fire engine driving through a batch of cherries red. "I should've called Jaehee."

"What was that?" MC barked.

"Nothing!"

* * *

As the cab neared Zen's house, Amy noticed a familiar brunette standing on his porch and immediately groaned.

 _"Great. What's she doing here?"_

After paying the driver and slipping out of the taxi, Amy approached Echo Girl with the caution of a cat sneaking up on a sleeping dog. The starlet hadn't seemed to notice her, her eyes instead glued on the phone screen in front of her. Forcing the nicest smile she could muster, Amy cleared her throat to get the girl's attention. Echo Girl immediately spun around, her eyes wide and full of excitement, but when she saw Amy standing behind her, the sparkle disappeared from her eyes, replaced by a hint of irritation.

"Oh, Amy, I wasn't expecting to see you. Where's Zen?" she asked.

"He's taking a nap inside." Amy lied, knowing better than to tell the starlet that she was actually alone without any way to contact her albino friend.

Echo Girl raised a suspicious eyebrow, her eyes boring into Amy's. "Is he? And you went out without him there to watch over you? That's awfully gutsy of you."

"I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself. Is there something you need? I can go get Zen if you want." Amy replied, eager to change the subject.

"N-No, that's okay! Let him rest. Could you just give this to him when he wakes up?" Echo Girl asked, handing Amy a gleaming white envelope with a bright red lip mark on it.

"Sure. What is it though?" Amy asked as she turned the letter over in her hand.

"That's none of your business. Just give it to him, okay?!" Echo Girl huffed angrily.

"Alright, alright. Calm down, Barbie doll."

"I am not a Barbie doll!" Echo Girl declared indignantly.

"Sure, whatever. If that's all you need then could you please leave? Your squawking is bound to wake Zen up."

Echo Girl's face turned so red Amy was surprised smoke didn't start spilling out of her ears.

"Fine, I'll go. You better deliver that letter to Zen or else! Don't you dare peek at it either!"

As the starlet stomped off like a two year old, Amy smiled victoriously as she mentally patted herself on the back. Slipping the envelope into her back pocket, she quietly entered the house and was immediately enveloped in a pair of strong arms, causing her to squeak in surprise.

"Amy! There you are! I was so worried!" Zen blubbered as he held her close and buried his face into the crook of her neck.

Amy's face immediately turned beet red as her heart rate shot up faster than a rocket. "Zen?! What are you doing back already?!"

"The shoot ended early because my face was starting to swell from all of the cat fur. Amy, why didn't you text me saying you were going out? If Seven hadn't told me you had gone out with MC, I would've had the police looking for you!"

Amy frowned and gently hugged Zen back. Her normal response would've been to yank away from him and lecture him about her being a strong independent woman and not having to tell him anything, but the fear lacing the man's voice softened her heart enough to prompt a different response.

"I'm sorry, Zen. I didn't mean to make you worry. I didn't think you would get home before me and figured sending you a text would be pointless. I'll be more considerate next time though, okay?"

"Okay."

As she and Zen stood in the hallway, wrapped in one another's arms, something suddenly occurred to Amy.

"Wait a second. If you were already home then why did you just leave Echo Girl standing on the porch?!" she declared.

"I didn't feel like talking to her. She's been getting on my nerves lately." Zen mumbled in reply, nuzzling his nose into her hair.

"So you left her for me to deal with instead. Gee, thanks." Amy grumbled. Squirming in Zen's grasp, she redirected the conversation. "Um, could you let go of me, please?"

"If I do, are you going to disappear again?"

Amy rolled her eyes and gently but firmly hit Zen in the stomach, prompting him to let go of her. Heading to the living room, she paused and then turned to face him.

"Zen, we need to talk."

"I agree."

"Huh?" Amy flashed Zen a look of confusion till he suddenly grabbed hold of her chin, lifting her face so they were looking one another in the eyes.

"Amy, I told you I liked you earlier, right?"

"Y-Yes. What about it?"

"I was wrong. I don't like you-"

Amy's heart fell. At the back of her head, a little voice whispered, _"I told you so."_

"-I love you."

Amy blinked. Slowly, her face started turning red and she roughly shoved Zen away from her.

"Don't joke with me like that, you idiot!" she screamed angrily, storming off to her room and leaving Zen rather shocked by her outburst. He hadn't meant to make her that upset.

Frowning worried, Zen chased after Amy and peeked into her room to see her curled up on her bed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she hugged her pillow to her chest. An arrow of guilt immediately pierced his heart, leaking its poison into his bloodstream so it spread throughout his entire body.

 _"I made her cry?!"_

"Amy-"

"Go away. I don't want to see you." Amy snapped, burying her face further into the pillow.

Approaching her slowly as to not set her off, Zen slowly eased himself down onto her bed and gazed earnestly into her face.

"I'm sorry, Amy. It would seem my joke wasn't as funny as I thought. Please stop crying." he pleaded softly, gently taking one of her small hands in his big ones and placing a kiss on it.

"Don't you realize how hard this is for me? Don't you realize how terrified I am right now? For once, something good seems to be happening to me and just as I'm starting to let down my walls, you come along and play a mean prank that! You're-You're an idiot, Zen!" Amy screeched.

Zen stared at Amy with wide eyes. "Amy, I'm sorry. I had no idea. I-"

Zen was cut off by Amy grabbing the collar of his jacket and pulling him down so her lips met his. The actor's eyes widened in surprise as Amy's lips desperately latched onto his, silently begging for all the love and affection he could provide. Without hesitation, Zen returned the thirsty gesture, his lips pressing back against Amy's in a battle for dominance that sent shivers coursing through him. Meanwhile, Amy clung onto Zen for dear life as his lips synced with her own. This was what she had wanted-no, what she had needed. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled herself closer to him, her body humming beneath his touch. Suddenly though, Zen broke away, his eyes wild like an animal's.

"N-Not here." he panted. "We can't do this here. It's too tempting."

"What?"

Forcing himself to calm down, Zen scooped Amy into his arms and carried her back to the livingroom, depositing her on the couch before seizing her lips once more. Shrugging off Zen's behavior, Amy gently cupped his face between her hands, massaging behind his ears as he tugged at her lips. Zen purred in approval as he slid his hands into her hair, enjoying the soft touch of the strands. Finally, the two of them broke apart, gasping for air as they continued to cling to one another.

"So you do like me….Thank goodness…." Zen mumbled, a smile playing on his lips. "So, what do you have to say about me after that, princess?"

"You're still an idiot."

Zen laughed before brushing a strand of hair out of Amy's eyes and behind her ear. "Yes, but I'm your idiot now, aren't I?"

Amy smiled back and gave Zen's ponytail a playful tug. "Don't get cocky, Snow White. I like you but that doesn't mean I'm automatically going to date you."

"Amy! You're so mean!" Zen groaned, causing his lady to laugh. Sighing loudly, he laid his head on her stomach and purred softly as she played with his hair till he noticed the letter sticking out of her pocket.

"What's this?" he asked, grabbing the letter while being careful to not touch Amy's rump.

"Hmm? Oh, that's what Echo Girl wanted to give you. She wouldn't tell me what it was and pretty much threatened to hurt me if I took a peek." Amy shrugged.

Sitting up, Zen pulled Amy onto his lap before slowly ripping open the letter and extracting a brightly colored invitation.

"What is it?" Amy grumbled as she rested her head on Zen's shoulder.

"An invitation to the release party for her new album. Looks like it's taking place in a couple days."

Amy scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Are you going to go?"

"I don't want to but it would probably be good press for our project." Zen sighed. However, after scanning the invitation again, his lips curved into a smile. "You could make it more bearable by coming as my plus one though."

"What? There's no way she put that on there."

"It's right here; look! All guests can bring one guest with them to the event."

"And there's no fine print saying 'except Zen' or 'unless her name is Amethyst Hall'?" Amy asked as she read over the invitation.

"Nope. So, how about it? Will you be my plus one?" Zen purred in a rather seductive tone.

Amy couldn't help but blush profusely as Zen gazed at her with hungry eyes. "I-I don't know, Zen. I don't even have a dress."

"I'll get you one."

"What about the paparazzi? What if they see us together?"

"So what? We're practically together now anyways so who cares? If they honestly start bugging you then just tell them off again. Please Amy?"

Amy sighed loudly in surrender, unable to resist Zen's begging. "Fine. I guess it can't be that bad, can it?"


	14. A Wonderful Tragedy

To say Amy felt nervous was an understatement. As she stood in front of the floor length mirror Zen had lent her, clad in the mint green evening gown he had bought for her, every imperfection and flaw she had seemed to exaggerate itself in her reflection till she resembled a caricature more than an actual person. Groaning, she tried posing a couple different ways with the hope that she if she stood just right that she wouldn't look half bad, but to her dismay, one of her flaws was always showing and ruining the image in front of her no matter what position she took. Groaning loudly in defeat, she flopped down onto her bed and closed her eyes, her face scrunching up into a cute pout.

 _"I can't go looking like this. I'll be a laughing stock."_ she thought to herself as she groaned again, hiding her face in her hands.

Amy was so engrossed in her despair that she didn't hear the soft creaking of the bedroom door opening or the tiptoe of Zen's feet as he silent crept towards her, a smirk on his lips as he gazed down at her. Easing himself down onto Amy's mattress, her gently pried her hands away to reveal the gorgeous face he had come to love more than his own.

"What's the matter, babe? You look troubled." he purred after placing a gentle kiss on the tip of Amy's nose.

Slowly, Amy's eyes fluttered open and stared up into his ruby red orbs before suddenly going wide as oceans. With a shriek, she leaped up off of the bed and threw her hands over her body before remembering that she was, in fact, clothed.

"Zen, what are you doing in here?! Why didn't you knock?! What if I wasn't done changing yet?!" she shrieked, her face as red as a tomato.

Zen chuckled at Amy's embarrassed expression and flashed her a playful wink. "I figured that twenty minutes was more than enough time for you to at least get dressed. Plus, I became quite worried when I heard all of the noise you were making; I thought you might have hurt yourself."

"Liar." Amy grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest and glaring daggers at Zen.

"Changing the subject, you still haven't answered my question. What's got you so upset?" Zen purred, rising to his feet and pulling Amy into a gentle embrace.

"This dress. No, that's not right. It's not the dress' fault that it's too pretty to be worn by an ugly troll like me." Amy mumbled as she buried her face into Zen's tuxedo jacket.

One of Zen's eyebrows immediately curved in a high arch of surprise. "Ugly? Who said you were ugly?"

"The mirror."

"Amy, love, mirrors can't talk."

"Shut up, you know what I meant."

Smirking, Zen gently started running his fingers through Amy's hair, brushing away any knots he encountered with the tenderest of care. "Do I? I'm not so sure because right now all I see is beauty when I look at you."

"That's because you're blinded by love." Amy retorted sharply. "Echo Girl and the paparazzi aren't stuck under the same spell though."

"Since when have their opinions mattered to you?"

"Since I started dating an amazingly talented actor who has a reputation purer than his white hair for me to uphold."

Zen's smile gradually faded away, replaced by a concerned frown. "My reputation isn't your burden to bear, Amy."

"You know that isn't true, Zen. The minute my lips met yours, I signed a contract accepting partial responsibility for your life and career." Amy replied. After a momentary pause, she added. "Maybe we shouldn't do this. Making Echo Girl mad is bound to only hurt your current project together and any future encounters you two have; plus, she has far more favor with the media than I do and could probably ruin us both in the blink of an eye. This was a childish and petty plan anyways."

Zen was now more than just slightly concerned about his currently still secret girlfriend. Worrying about things like other people's opinions and possible negative outcomes weren't like her; where was all this newfound anxiety and worry coming from? Was it because of him? That thought made Zen's heart sink.

"No, I'm not letting you back out. I need you there tonight; you're the only one that can keep me sane around those people!" he protested, his grip on Amy tightening.

"We both know that's a lie. You'll be fine without me." Amy mumbled.

"I'll be fine, but I won't be having any fun because I'll be apart from you."

Amy rolled her eyes. "Zen, that was so corny."

"I don't care. Please Amy, don't make me go alone!"

Unable to resist her boyfriend's pleading puppy dog face, Amy sighed in surrender. "Fine, but I'm leaving if I get laughed at for looking stupid."

"You don't look stupid."

"Compared to all the celebrities that will be attending? Yeah right. Everyone's going to wonder if I'm a joke date or someone you invited out of pity." Amy grumbled.

"You're just spouting nonsense. Here, sit down." Zen stated as he guided Amy over to her vanity and sat her down on the cushy matching bench. Grabbing a brush, he began brushing Amy's long locks again, humming a giddy tune as he did so.

"Zen, what are you doing?" Amy asked, her despair giving way to curiosity.

"Helping the princess I see on the inside emerge from her chrysalis." Zen replied suavely as he swapped the brush in his hand for a curling iron and grabbing several packs of bobby pins from one of the vanity drawers.

"So you admit then that I'm ugly?"

"No. I see the beautiful you as you are, but some people need help to see the masterpiece I know to be Amethyst Hall."

Amy's cheeks flushed bright pink as her heart sped up. Zen wasn't just smooth with his voice; he was also smooth with his words. He was every girl's dream guy, and he was hers. That very thought sent hundreds of butterflies fluttering throughout her entire body, causing her to smile like an idiot as she started to giggle like a schoolgirl. The sound of Amy's laughter sent waves of relief washing over Zen as he carefully wrapped strand after of strand of his girlfriend's hair around the hot iron, styling them into perfect little curls. He was going to show his princess what she looked like in his eyes, not for Echo Girl or the paparazzi or some other snobby celebrities but for her. He was going to make sure she saw herself as beautiful.

* * *

The day had been pretty slow for Saeyoung, with the definition of slow being that he had more than enough work to do and had received many furious calls from Vanderwood demanding he get his jobs done already but the hacker not giving a care in the world. So how had the infamous 707 decided to spend his time? Watching the security feed of Amy's old home like a hawk, busily munching on Honey Buddha Chips and downing bottles of Ph D. Pepper like there was no tomorrow. Not much had happened so far; both Mr. Hall and Emerald seemed to be getting ready for an event though. Just as he was finishing what had to be his third bag of chips, a flicker of movement caught the corner of Saeyoung's eye, causing him to turn and one of the other screens. What he saw made his eyes go wide, the now empty bag of chips falling from his hand and joining its brethren on the floor. Somewhere far away, Vanderwood felt a sharp pain rip through his body.

 _"Is that Echo Girl? What's she doing there?"_ Saeyoung gaped, staring at the young starlet as she stood on the porch of the Hall's home, impatiently tapping her foot as two bodyguards flanked her on either side. As his Super Secret Agent Senses started tingling, the redhead instinctively reached over and grabbed his cellphone, dialing Zen's number faster than a heartbeat and lifting it to his ear.

 _"Something is not right."_

* * *

As she and Zen sat in the rental limousine, Amy jumped slightly when her phone started vibrating like crazy, indicating she was receiving a call. Slowly, she opened her handbag and reached in to retrieve the device, but Zen swiftly smacked her hand away.

"Zen! What are you doing?!" Amy exclaimed.

"It's not important. Trust me." Zen stated as he slid his own phone back into his tuxedo pocket.

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, I just do."

Rolling her eyes, Amy closed her bag and set it on the seat beside her before resting her head on Zen's shoulder.

"I'm still unsure about this." she mumbled as she slipped her hand into his, intertwining their fingers and then squeezing them gently.

"It'll be fine, I promise. Just stay close to me, alright?" Zen cooed softly, placing a kiss along her hairline as he squeezed back.

"Alright."

As the car finally rolled to a stop and the sound of cameras clicking and reporters babbling greeted her ears, Amy took a deep breath to calm her nerves and allowed Zen to pull her from the safety of the vehicle. Immediately, the soft hum of commotion turned into a loud buzz as she faced it head on, spots swarming before her eyes like flies as she was assaulted by dozens of bright lights. Zen gently pulled her a little closer till their shoulders were touching and then swiftly guided her towards the front entrance of the venue, smiling like usual as he waved to some of the cameras. Handing his invitation to one of the guards outside, he then proceeded to pull Amy inside where the noise was less overwhelming.

"Is it over? Can I go home now?" Amy mumbled as she rapidly blinked her eyes in attempt to clear them.

Zen just chuckled and affectionately nuzzled her cheek, sliding his arm securely around her waist. "Not yet. I still need to show you off."

"Show off what? Your sympathy for the unfortunate?"

"Not even close." Zen whispered huskily in Amy's ear, making her face flush. "I want to show off the rare gem I now get to call mine and only mine."

"Z-Zen…"

"Am I interrupting something?"

Amy's blush darkened profusely while Zen spun around to face the only person that would have enough nerve and indecency to interrupt such a moment for him.

"What are you doing here, Jumin?" he growled in a voice so low it almost wasn't human.

"My father and I received invites just as you did. He insisted I come." Jumin replied dully. "Now what seems to be going on here? You're looking rather red, Amy. Are you alright?"

"She's fine." Zen snapped, stepping between them and glaring daggers at his hated rival. Jumin just rolled his eyes and walked around the stubborn actor.

"Zen hasn't done anything improper to you, has he? You can tell me; I promise not to let him hurt you." he stated, gingerly cradling Amy's small, delicate hands in his gloved ones.

"N-No, he hasn't done anything wrong." Amy stuttered.

"Yeah, what she said. Now stop touching my girl with your filthy, cat contaminated hands!" Zen barked, hugging Amy's waist from behind and scowling at Jumin from over her shoulder.

Jumin raised an eyebrow then took a sip of his wine. "Finally."

"What was that?"

"Nothing you need to know. I suggest you both hurry into the main hall; Echo Girl is bound to be looking for you, Zen."

"We'll go in when we feel like it." Zen grumbled bitterly.

"Zen, calm down. He's not hurting anything." Amy stated, sounding slightly annoyed.

"I'm surprised you haven't hit him yet. Last time on of your father's associates tried to hold you like that, he was kneeling on the ground in the blink of an eye. Could it be that you're going soft?" Jumin remarked inquisitively.

Amy's eyes narrowed. "I would watch your tongue, Mr. Han, or you'll be the one on the floor, and for your information I have not gone soft in the very slightest. It just so happens that Zen has earned my approval for physical contact."

Noticing the smug expression on Zen's face, Jumin rolled his eyes and swirled in his wine around in its glass. "Just be careful. He's not as gentlemanly as he looks."

"Like you're one to talk, Trust Fund Kid!"

"Meager peasant."

"Stuck up jerk!"

"Uncultured pig."

"Son of a-"

"Zen! You're here!"

Zen silently cursed and shot Jumin one final glare before he turned his attention to Echo Girl, who was running towards him with a childlike grin on her face. However, her look of excitement quickly vanished and she slowed to stop when she noticed Amy standing alongside her crush. However, she quickly forced an overly sweet smile onto her face, not that she was fooling anyone whatsoever.

"Amy, what a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you were coming." she hissed between clenched teeth.

"Zen brought me along as his plus one." Amy replied, squirming slightly due to the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Oh, is that so? How nice of him." Echo Girl chuckled dryly, her hands clenching into fists behind her back. Thinking quickly, she grabbed hold of Zen's hand and began dragging him away, purposely leaving Amy behind. "Zen, I've got some friends who would really like to meet you! Come on!"

"Alright, I'm coming. Just give me a second." Zen smiled. Reaching out his hand, he grabbed hold of Amy's arm and pulled her alongside. "Alright, let's go."

Echo Girl's smile wavered slightly, but just as she seemed close to snapping, she spun around and took several deep breaths to calm herself down.

"Follow me. Try not to get lost in the crowd." she said finally, though her voice sounded strained.

Following behind the starlet with no sense of urgency whatsoever, Zen and Amy walked arm in arm into the massive hall where the main part of the party was being held. Inside, dozens of different celebrities and stars all stood chatting with one another and laughing as waiters bustled about carrying trays laden with a variety of appetizers. Zen's eyes widened when they landed on the food, his stomach uttering the softest growl, and he swiftly plucked several of the bite-size morsels from one of the passing plates.

"These are really good. You want one, Amy?" he purred, offering her a piece.

Raising a suspicious eyebrow, Amy gingerly accepted the food only for Zen to quickly swoop down and bite off half of it, his lips brushing against hers.

"Z-Zen!" she exclaimed, her face bright red.

"Gotcha." Zen purred smugly, shooting her a flirty wink.

"Why you-"

"Amethyst? Is that you?" a familiar voice suddenly called out.

Amy's heart nearly stopped beating as she slowly spun around to see her sister standing behind her, glad in a gorgeous emerald green dress and matching heels. Tears immediately rushed to the girls' eyes as they threw their arms around one another and held each other tight.

"Em! Oh my gosh, Em! What are you doing here?!" Amy blubbered, hugging her sister with all her might.

"I could ask you the same question!" Emma gushed as she hugged back just as fiercely.

"Zen brought me as his plus one."

"Zen?"

"Yeah. Zen, this is Emerald-"

Amy stopped short when she turned to find Zen had vanished from sight, swept away by an all too eager Echo Girl no doubt. The very thought of the busty brunette clinging to her boyfriend's arm made Amy's blood boil.

"Amethyst, are you alright? You've got that I-want-to-kill-someone look in your eye." Emma frowned.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I guess I'll introduce you two later." Amy muttered distractedly before turning her full attention back to her sister. "How are you? Dad hasn't been too hard on you since I ran off, has he?"

"Not really." Emma replied though her expression said otherwise.

"Em, what has he done? He isn't hurting you, is he?" Amy asked, her voice grave.

"No, he hasn't hurt me. This is the first time I've gotten to leave the house though. He shut off all my access to the outside world including the internet though so I'm probably extremely behind in all of my classes."

Amy's eyes narrowed and she hastily wrapped her sister in another hug. "I'll get you away from him soon, I promise. You'll get your freedom too."

"That's a nice thought, Amy, but…"

"But what?"

Suddenly, the hum of microphone feedback echoed throughout the room, silencing all other conversations. All eyes looked up to behold none of then Chairman Han and Mr. Hall standing on a little stage at the front of the room, Jumin's father looking rather bashful will Amy's dad's expression remained as blank and cold as slate.

"Heheh, sorry everyone. Unlike our lovely hostess, I'm not very talented with a microphone." Chairman Han clucked, prompting a few chuckles from the audience. "The wonderful Echo Girl was also kind enough to grant me permission to use this stage for a special announcement."

For some reason, Amy suddenly started to feel sick. _"Special announcement?"_

Mr. Hall raised his hand to silence the murmurs that had broken out amongst the crowd so Chairman Han could continue.

"In a few days, my cooperation and Mr. Hall's cooperation shall become one when my son Jumin and his daughter Emerald are joined together in holy matrimony!" Chairman Han exclaimed excitedly.

Amy's blood went cold as Emma hung her head shamefully, the clapping and cheering of the crowd around her going one in ear and out the other. All around her, the entire world seemed to fade into nothingness till only she, Emma, and her father were left.

"Matrimony? You're marrying Jumin?" Amy finally uttered, still not wanting to believe it.

"I had no other choice." Emma mumbled.

Clenching her jaw, Amy whirled around and scanned the room with eyes full of rage. Spotting a rather shocked looking Jumin at the back of the crowd, she stormed towards him and dragged him out of the room, slamming him against the one of the hallway's walls.

"You knew about this, didn't you?!" she screeched, holding him by the collar. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Amy, I didn't know! I swear!"

"Liar!"

"Amy, leave him alone!" Emma cried as ran to her sister's side and struggled to pry her off of her fiance. "I wasn't supposed to know about the engagement till tonight either. I secretly overheard Dad and Echo Girl talking in his-"

"Echo Girl?! What does she have to do with this?!" Amy demanded angrily, her grip on Jumin tightening.

"She's the one who gave Dad the idea about the marriage."

"She what?!"

"She told Dad to make me marry Jumin instead but that's not what's important-"

"That seems pretty important to me, Emerald!"

"Would you just shut up and listen?! Echo Girl said something else also-"

"My my, what do we have here? Trying to steal your sister's future husband? How scandalous, Amethyst."

Amy whirled around and glared murderously at Echo Girl, who was standing smugly in the doorway of the party room. "You! You're going to be sorry, you little witch! When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna-"

"You're going to what? Hurt me? That would be bad publicity for Zen, you know." Echo Girl crowed smugly, her hands resting sassily on her hips.

"I'm not going to let you win, you know."

"I already have, stupid."

Growling, Amy released Jumin and stormed off down the hall, ignoring her sister as she called for her name. Once she had rounded the corner and left Echo Girl's line of vision, she allowed the tears she had been holding back to fall freely, dotting the carpet with them as she made her way towards the building's back exit. As she struggled with the handle, the sound of heavy panting and running feet echoed behind her till a pair of strong arms enveloped her in a tight, comforting embrace.

"Amy, where are you going?!" Zen exclaimed, struggling to catch his breath as he clung to her like his life depended on it.

"I'm going home, Zen."

"But what about your sister? She insisted that she needed to talk to you-"

"I said I'm going home, Zen!"

"Alright, alright! We can go home. Let me call the driver. Just breathe, okay?" Zen cooed, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead as he pulled out his phone and lifted it to his ear. Meanwhile, Amy buried her face into Zen chest and released a shaky sob.

 _"This is all my fault. This is all my fault."_


	15. A Noble Sacrifice

Amy's heart ached sharply over and over again as she stared blankly at the ceiling above while replaying the events of the night over and over in her head. With each cycle of the memories, the gnawing guilt she felt grew more and more prominent till it had consumed three quarters of her stomach, leaving an emptiness that could not be filled in its wake. Her cheeks were raw from vainly attempting to wipe away the continuous downpour of her tears, stinging painfully as more of the salty droplets trickled down the sensitive flesh, and her bloodshot eyes burned but she refused to close them. Her lungs felt like they had shrunk in her chest, leaving her feeling breathless and tired, but sleep seemed to be keeping its distant from her for the night. This was probably for the better for if she was allowed to dream she would likely only suffer more pain as her mind concocted some horrible nightmare to remind her of her treachery. Sniffling as she wallowed in her helplessness, she sluggish rolled over onto her side and wrapped her arms around her pillow, burying her face into its plush surface in hopes that it would relieve so of the distress she felt or at least muffle her sobs so she didn't wake Zen.

 _"Echo Girl...that little brat! I'm sure Dad would've decided to marry Emma off to Jumin eventually but she didn't need to speed up the process! I wish I should've punched her in her smug little face when I had the chance, regardless of what other people thought. Why can't I just be happy for once in my life?!"_ she mentally screamed as squeezed the pillow a little tighter and hiccuped like a child. _"I just want to be happy, that's all. I want to marry a guy who loves me and sees value in me; I want to marry Zen! But now because of me, Emma is being forced to take my place. I can't do that to her. She deserves to be happy and meet her Prince Charming too."_

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Amy that made her skin crawl.

 _"If I went home, perhaps it wouldn't be too late for me to trade spots with her again. Maybe there's still hope for her….But what about Zen?"_

Biting her lip, Amy quietly rose to her feet and tiptoed out of her room, making her way down the hall towards Zen's bedroom. Thankfully, the door was already open so she could peek in no problem. Creeping over to the actor's bed, Amy gazed down at his face with a hint of sadness. He looked rather peaceful while he slumbered, but the slight pinching together of his eyebrows told her that he hadn't completely escaped his worries just yet.

"Zen, I'm so sorry. You deserve so much better than this." she whispered quietly, knowing full well that he couldn't hear her. Leaning down, she placed the gentlest of kisses on his cheek, not wanting to wake him, before rising and retreating back to her room. There, she began to gather her things only to suddenly pause.

 _"Dad will probably confiscate most of this stuff and throw it out, so what's the point of even bringing it along?"_

Sighing heavily, Amy returned her clothes to the closet, frowning as her eyes trailed over the outfits she hadn't even gotten to wear yet.

 _"What a waste. I'm so sorry, Zen."_

Grabbing her phone, Amy flopped down onto her bed and slowly began dialing the one number she never thought she would call ever again. As the line connected, she drew in a sharp breath as her heart raced in her chest.

"Hello?" her father's voice echoed, sounding rather annoyed.

"Dad, it's me. We need to talk."

The line grew silent for a moment.

"I have nothing to say to you. You're lucky Chairman Han was willing to let Jumin marry your sister."

"Dad, please!"

"Do not call me again. Goodbye, Amethyst-"

"I'll marry Jumin!"

Again, silence from the other end of the line.

"What did you just say?"

"I said I'll marry Jumin, but in return, you have to let Emerald continue going to college and let her move out if she wants."

"...Fine. Very well. I'm glad you changed your mind. I assume you will be returning home as well?"

Amy nodded mutely before remembering that her father couldn't see her. "Yes, that is correct. Could you send a car to pick me up?"

"Yes. You are staying with that good for nothing actor aren't you?"

"Zen. His name is Zen, Dad." Amy whimpered as more tears flooded her eyes and she struggled to hold them back.

"I don't care what his name is. I'll have a car there soon. I shall see you at home. Goodbye."

With that, the call ended, leaving a trembling Amethyst sitting alone in the dark. Taking a shaky breath, she set the phone on her bed and made her way to the living room. As she passed her laptop sitting on the couch, she paused momentarily and stared down at it.

 _"Should I email the college and tell them I'm dropping out?"_ she pondered. After a moment of thought, she shook her head. _"Jumin will probably let me continue my studies while he works. That's a plus for me since I won't have to worry about getting another job while I work on my writing career."_

That thought, however, did little to comfort Amy as she leaned against the wall and stared gloomily out the window, watching the street with a blank look on her face. Nothing seemed capable of filling the hole in her heart, the hole that could only be filled by the one thing she couldn't have.

 _"No, Amy. You can't be selfish any longer. You're the big sister; it's your job to look out for Emma."_

Before long, a familiar black car came to a screeching halt in front of the house, snapping Amy out of her daze. Taking a shaky breath, she slunk down the hall, her shoulders drooping in defeat as the immense weight she had thrown off returned to its perch and made itself cozy. As she reached out and grabbed the door handle, Amy paused one last time and glanced down the hall towards Zen's room. Part of her hoped that he had somehow woken and would come rushing down the hall to her, wrapping his arms around her and begging her not to leave. However, she knew that such a fantasy was unrealistic; such an occurrence only happened on the pages of a book and nowhere else. This was reality and nothing could save her from it. This was the role she was assigned and she would be forced to play it to the t. Slowly, she turned the doorknob and opened the door, and as she stepped out into the night and shut the door behind her, Amy could practically feel the invisible chains that had confined her her whole life snapping back shut with a loud clank. Blinking away the few tears she had left, she made her way down the steps of the porch and nodded politely at the driver as he opened the car door for her. Slipping wordlessly into the backseat, she bit her lip as the door closed shut behind her, signaling the sealing of her fate. As the car started up and began driving away, the sorrowful woman shot one last look at Zen's home as it shrank and shrank till it was no more than a dot on the horizon.

 _"I'm sorry, Zen, but if only one of us can be happy in the end, I want it to be Emma. Thank you for being my White Knight, even if it was for a vain and fleeting time. My person may be sold to Jumin Han, but my heart will forever be only yours. Please find happiness; find it for me. Goodbye, my knight...no, my prince."_

* * *

 _"Where am I? What's going on?"_

Zen frowned in confusion as he scanned his surroundings. He was in a large white room surrounded by people in rather formal attire. Everyone was seated in rows of chairs, their eyes fixed in front of them as someone at the front of the crowd spoke, though Zen could not understand his words. Biting the inside of his cheek, he stretched to try and see over the people in front of him, only catching the slightest glimpse of the scene at the front of the room. However, it was enough to make his brows scrunch together in confusion.

 _"Am I...at a wedding?"_

Glancing behind him, Zen noticed that no one seemed to be paying any attention to him, their eyes all glued to the ceremony at the front of the room, so he slowly stood up so he could see. His jaw quickly dropped when he realized that standing at the front of the room was Amy's sister and Jumin, their hands joined together as they awkwardly smiled and tried to look excited.

 _"So this is Trust Fund Kid's wedding."_ he thought to himself. Suddenly, something occurred to him that for some reason made him very worried. _"Wait a second, where's Amy?"_

Zen immediately started scanning the crowd with frantic eyes, but no matter where he looked, his beloved was nowhere to be found.

"Zen, you alright?" a familiar voice asked from beside him.

Looking down, Zen noticed that the person sitting beside him had transformed into Saeyoung, who looked oddly somber and sympathetic.

"Seven…"

"Here, take these. It's okay to cry, you know; you don't have to try and be tough. I won't tell anyone, I promise." Saeyoung said, holding a box of tissues out for the actor and only deepening his confusion.

"What?"

Suddenly, Zen noticed that his cheeks were in fact damp with fresh tears and that his nose was starting to drip as well.

 _"I...I'm crying? Why am I crying? What reason do I have to cry-?"_

"And do you, Amethyst Hall, take Jumin Han to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

Zen's heart stopped beating in his chest and his blood froze solid as he whipped around to face the front of the room once more. Emerald had vanished and standing in her place, adorned in a wedding dress and a fake smile, was Amethyst.

"No…" he breathed.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Time seemed to slow down as Jumin and Amy leaned in towards each other, their eyes fluttering closed as their lips drew closer and closer towards each other.

"NO!"

* * *

"NO!"

Zen started awake with a violent jolt, cold sweat pouring down his body like water droplets after a long shower. For a few moments, the actor just sat there trembling in his bed and staring incomprehensibly at his blanket, his heavy breathing echoing in his ears.

 _"It was just a dream?"_

Zen's stomach churned uneasily in his stomach as he thought over what he had scene. It wasn't one of _those_ dreams, was it? As an intense fear shot through his body, Zen leaped out of bed and barreled down the hallway towards Amy's room, his heart thundering so loudly he swore everyone within a mile radius could hear it. However, as he neared the door, he skidded to a halt and just stood there for a moment, attempting to collect himself. Amy could very well be still be sleeping peacefully on the other side of the wall, safe and close by, and he didn't want to rudely awaken her if his fears were all for nothing. Taking a deep breath, he slowly raised his fist and gently knocked on the door. To his surprise, the door shifted slightly, having been left ajar.

"Amy?" Zen called softly as he slowly pushed the door open. However, his eyes widened in horror as he drank in the sight before him; laying on the bed where Amy should have been was the phone he had given her while she was nowhere to be seen.

"Amy? Amy?! Amy?!"

Zen took off in a blind state of panic, running around the house and frantically calling for his princess. When she did not answer or turn up, the actor snatched his phone off of his nightstand along with his leather jacket and a pair of shoes. As he slipped the jacket on over his pajamas and the shoes onto his feet, he hastily dialed the first number he could think of before bringing the phone to his ear. After a couple rings, there was a click on the other end of the line followed by the groggy groaning of a very tired MC.

"Hello?"

"MC, is Amy with you?!"

"Huh? Zen? Why are you calling me at eight in the morning on a Saturday?"

"MC, is she with you?!"

"No. Why? Is something wrong?"

"She isn't here and she left her phone."

"She could have just go out to get something, Zen."

"I don't think that's the case. I had another one of my dreams last night and she was in it."

"What?! What happened in the dream, Zen?!"

"I was at Jumin's wedding and he was standing at the altar with Emerald. However, when I looked at them again, Amy was standing in Emerald's place exchanging vows with Jumin and...and…"

"Zen, breathe! It's going to be alright, I promise. Have you called anyone else?"

"No, you're the first one. I was going to call Jaehee or Yoosung after you before I headed out to look for her on my bike."

"Good. You do that. I'll have Seven check the security cameras and traffic cams for anything."

"Thank you."

"We'll find her, Zen, I promise."

"I hope so. Bye MC." Zen stated before hastily hanging up and dialing Jaehee's number.

"Hello?"

"Jaehee, it's Zen! Have you had any contact with Amy in the last twenty-four hours? She's not here and she left her phone."

"Are you sure she didn't just go out for something-"

"Yes! Something bad is going to happen, Jaehee! I know it!"

"Did you have another one of your dreams?"

"Yes and it wasn't good. Please, if you hear or see anything, let me know."

"Of course!"

"I'm going to try Yoosung next. He probably hasn't seen anything either but I'm still going to ask. Bye, Jaehee."

"Bye, Zen. Good luck."

As he practically flew out the front door, Zen called Yoosung next only for the call to go straight to voicemail. Cursing, he left a brief message demanding that the college student tear himself away from his video game for five seconds and call him back then tucked his phone into the pocket of his jacket before leaping onto his motorcycle and revving the engine. There was only one person left for him to ask, and he wanted that conversation to occur face to face.

* * *

"Mr. Han, Zen is here to see you-"

"Where is she, Jumin?!"

Jumin glanced up to see Zen storming into his office, steam practically pouring from his ears as his eyes blazed like an out of control wildfire. The corporate heir raised an eyebrow when he noticed the actor's attire.

"You're here in your pajamas?"

Gritting his teeth, Zen raised his fist and socked Jumin square in the jaw, knocking him clear out of his chair. Jaehee shrieked loudly and ran to Zen's side, grabbing his arm before he could throw another punch.

"Where is she, you bastard?! Tell me now!" Zen growled, glaring murderously at Jumin as he steadily rose to his feet.

"Why do you think I would know?" he grunted in reply as he tenderly massaged his aching jaw. "Assistant Kang, please go get me some ice."

"But sir-"

"It's alright, Jaehee. Go."

Biting her lip, Jaehee hurried from the room, leaving Jumin and Zen alone in the office. As Zen stood seething with rage, Jumin straightened his jacket before grabbing the remote for his office's tv.

"I'm assuming you haven't turned on the news yet today, have you?" he stated flatly as he fiddled with the device.

"What the heck are you talking about?!"

Sighing, Jumin raised the remote and turned on the tv. Immediately, a far too perky broadcaster appeared on the screen along with pictures of Amy, Jumin, Emerald, and himself.

"Well folks, this has been quite the week! Only twenty-four hours after announcing the engagement of his daughter Emerald Hall to C&R's Jumin Han, businessman Chul Hall has confirmed the circling rumor that his daughter Amethyst Hall has agreed to marry the corporate heir in her sister's place." the woman babbled excitedly, practically vibrating in her seat as she clutched the papers she was holding so tightly that her knuckles were turning white.

Meanwhile, Zen's heart dropped into the pit of his stomach. "Amy…"

"Amethyst has since returned home and, according to her father, is busily preparing for the wedding occurring in just a few days so she was unable to answer any questions for us." the newscaster continued, her extremely oversized smile making Jumin cringe.

"Liar." Zen snarled, clenching his fists angrily.

"However, many people are curious as to how actor Zen must be feeling about all this. Here to talk with us about that is the heartthrob's current co-star, the one and only Echo Girl!" the newswoman squealed before the camera panned out to reveal the starlet seated a few feet next to her. "It's an honor to have you here, Echo Girl. Tell us, after working side by side with Zen for a while, what do you think he's feeling right now?"

"Oh, I'm sure he's devastated, the poor thing! I didn't like that Amethyst girl from the start! I tried to get Zen away from her before he got hurt but by then it was already too late." Echo Girl lamented, dramatically wiping away invisible tears with a lacy handkerchief.

"What do you mean?" the newswoman asked, obviously intrigued and eagerly devouring the star's every word.

"Well, it was obvious right away to me that Zen was completely head over heels for her while she could've cared less about him. She was just stringing him along, pretending to need him and care about him just to secure her hold over him so she could break his heart in two. Honestly, while I feel bad for Zen, I'm glad he's free from her hold now. I also pity her poor fiance, Jumin Han; I have a feeling she's going to have quite a few affairs behind his back."

"I see…" the newscaster said, looking rather uncomfortable, before quickly changing the subject. "As Zen's co-star, I assume you're going to try and support him during this hard time?"

"But of course! What happened to Zen wasn't fair in the slightest. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to console him during his time, and I beg his true fans to give him as much love and support as they can as well. I also implore them not to let Miss Hall get away with what she has done and to call her out on what she has done. No one hurts our Zen and gets away with it!"

"Shut up! Just shut up, you filthy little liar!" Zen screeched, slamming his hands down on Jumin's desk before shakily sinking to his knees and burying his face in his arms. Jumin quietly turned off to the tv and approached the actor, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Zen. If I could do anything, I would. I can tell Amy has been good for you, and I'll admit that I feel some guilt about being the reason why she is being taken from you." Jumin confessed softly, patting Zen's back as he loomed over him.

"You...You better treat her like the freaking princess she is, you hear me? Give her only the best of everything and make sure you give her lots of love and attention every single day. Also, don't show her off like some toy; she hates that. Let her finish to her degree too, and don't you dare ever break her heart or make her do something she doesn't want to. I swear I'll break your neck if you do, got it?" Zen stated as he lifted his head and wiped his eyes on his sleeve.

"Yes, of course. I'll do whatever I can to try and make her happy, but I can't help but think that it will all be in vain."

"Still, just try. Make her as happy as you can and give her the love and respect she deserves. Also, I'm assuming I won't get to see her again before the wedding and I won't get an invite either, so please, when you see her, tell her I love her more than anything the world."

"I will, I promise."

Chewing on his bottom lip, Zen got up and made his way towards the door. "I better go. Sorry for punching you in the face."

"It's alright. Make sure you calm down before you drive again. The last thing Amy needs right now is to learn you died in a motorcycle accident."

"I will. Congratulations, Jumin; you've scored big."

Jumin's usually stone cold face turned soft and rather sad as he watched Zen leave.

"Indeed I have. I have scored a stolen prize that was never meant to be mine in the first place. Lucky me." he said flatly just as the door clicked shut behind Zen.


	16. The Master Plan

Emerald knew she should be happy. She was going to escape from her father's grasp for good and continue to go to college to get her degree. She was going to be able to move out and live her life the way she wanted. She was going to get to make friends and have fun, and she was going to find a boy she loved wholeheartedly and marry him on the beach with the waves echoing majestically in the background as they said their bows. Emerald knew she should be happy, but as she stared at her older sister standing in front of three or four mirrors with their father's tailors bustling around her, all she could feel was overwhelming guilt.

"It looks really nice." She said, offering her sister a weak smile.

Amy didn't reply and continued to play with a strand of her hair, which had recently been chopped shorter to get rid of the purple color in it since her father deemed it improper dress for the wedding. When one of the tailors accidentally poked her with one of her pins, she did not help or flinch; in fact, she did not acknowledge it at all and instead continued to stare gloomily at her reflection, her formerly vibrant eyes now dead and dull. It was obvious that her heart lay someplace far out of reach, leaving behind only an empty shell of her feisty, stubborn, brave, loving older sister, and it made Emerald's heart wrench painfully inside her chest.

"Sis...please smile. Please. Even if it's a fake one, please just smile. I want to see you smile again." she pleaded desperately, looking eyes with her sister through the mirror.

Amy held her sister's gaze for a moment then looked away. Clenching her fists, Emerald pushed the tailors aside and forcefully spun her sister around.

"Don't ignore me! If you don't smile then I won't be able to either. Why are you doing this if it hurts you so much?!" she demanded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Somber silence fell over the room as Emma continued to blubber and sniffle, feverishly wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her pastel green sweater in a vain attempt to dry her tears. Finally, a small, sad smile broke through Amethyst's stony mask as she gently lifted her sister's chin so she was looking her in the eyes.

"I'm doing this because I love you, Em. You're my little sister and closest friend, and I'm your big sister and your protector. It's my job to look out for you and to keep you out of harm's way, but I was a coward and left you behind when I ran away. I abandoned my duties and left you behind to deal with Father's wrath, and you nearly lost the little freedom you have because of it. I messed up once already; I won't do so again. I'm going to let Dad take your dreams away too. I'm going to finish this once and for all." she cooed lovingly as she tenderly brushed a stray strand of hair from her sibling's face.

"S-Stop talking like that! You're not some sacrificial lamb, Amethyst! I won't be happy unless you're happy! You don't belong with Jumin! You belong with someone who you love and who loves you! You deserve to be with someone like Zen!" Emerald exclaimed.

A dry chuckle escaped Amy's lips. "I thought you didn't approve of me and Zen…"

"That's because I was worried about how Dad would react but I was stupid! Cheesy or not, the things he sent you were so genuine that most people would choke. That's the type of guy you deserve to be with Amy!"

"Oh Em. Some dreams are meant to stay dreams. We may reach for the stars, but if we ever truly got close to one, we would burn-"

"No! Shut up! Don't say that! You're not supposed to talk like that! You're supposed to be brave and say you'll continue to reach for the stars no matter what logic and reason say! You're supposed to be stubborn and sassy and not listen to anyone who tells you what to do! This isn't you! You're not my sister!" Emma wailed before burying her face into her Amy's shoulder and wailing loudly.

Amy gently stroked her sister's hair as she shot the tailors an apologetic look.

"That will be all for today, ladies. I'll see you tomorrow for the final touches." she said softly, earning several humble bows from them.

After the tailors had left, Amy sat down on the floor and cradled her sister close in her arms.

"You're so dramatic, Emerald. It's not like I'm being put to death. Jumin and I have a mutual understanding of one another so we won't push one another. Plus, he earns enough to support us before which will enable me to finish my degree and write full time instead of having to get a job and write part time. I'll be fine as long as you're happy. Can you do that for me? Can you be happy for both of us?"

When she received no answer, Amy sighed and pulled away.

"I have to go change. Dad is going to take me to try some different cakes for the wedding, not that I'm going to get to eat much of anything anyways in this corset. Don't worry about me though, okay?" she cooed as she slowly as she rose to her feet. Again, only silence answer her, making the cracks on her heart grow larger and deeper than they already were.

"I love you, Em. Never forget that." she said before leaving the room, the door shutting behind her with a soft click.

Burying her face in her hands, Emerald sat alone in her sister's room for a few moments and just wailed, not caring who saw or heard her or that she was getting black mascara all over her expensive pastel sweater. Violent trembling seized her tiny frame as she huddled into a ball on the floor, biting her lip till it started to trick fresh blood.

 _"This isn't fair! She doesn't deserve this! Why is this happening to her?! Why can't she just be happy for once?!"_

"Why can't my sister just be happy?! Why does she have to give up everything for my happiness?! Why can't we both be happy together?!" Emma screamed aloud, slamming her fist down on the floor with such force that she would likely be sporting a bruise later.

Shaken loose by Emerald's tantrum, the sparkly handbag Amy had used the night she and Zen met fell from her nightstand, its contents spilling everywhere. Cursing, Emerald hastily scrambled to pick up the mess but stopped when a piece of paper caught her eye. Picking it up, she curiously flipped it over and stared at the series of numbers scribbled down on it. After a moment, realization dawned on her, causing her eyes to go wide as her hands started to tremble.

 _"This is Zen's number. Amy still had it after all this time-"_

Suddenly, an idea popped into Emma's head that made her adrenaline spike and her heart pound. Tucking the slip of paper into her pocket, she hurried over to the door and cautiously peeked out into the hallway. When she saw no one, she sprinted stealthily towards her father's office, weaving through various hallways just to make sure no one saw her. After rounding the final corner, Emerald timidly raised her hands to grasp the door handle and pushed the door open ever so slowly, holding her breath as she waited for some remark to come from inside the room. However, all remained quiet, and when Emerald peeked into the room, she was relieved to see that it was empty. Shutting the door behind her, she hastily tiptoed over to her father's desk and picked up the only landline phone in the house, fishing the note out of her pocket with her other hand. Setting the note next to the phone, she quickly dialed the correct number sequence and waited anxiously as the phone rang over and over.

"Please pick up. Please pick up." she quietly begged, her voice no louder than a faint whisper for fear that someone else would hear her.

* * *

He couldn't do it. No matter how much pain he felt and how much he desired even the temporary of reliefs, Zen could not bring himself to raise his hand and grab the box of unopened cigarettes sitting across from him on the table. All their former appeal had completely evaporated, leaving Zen with no desire for even one puff. His heart yearned for something else, something that could not be replaced with cigarettes, beer, or his fans. He wanted her; he needed her. He needed Amy.

Sighing loudly, Zen picked up the pack of cigarettes and bitterly hurled them into the trash can before stomping over to the couch and burying his face in his hands. Echos of Amy's voice rang in his ears, mocking him, taunting him as invisible hands buried themselves in his hair.

 _"Jumin promised to take good care of her. It's not like I won't ever see her again; we just won't be together is all. Why isn't that enough though? Why can I not stand to see her unless she is by my side, in my arms, with her eyes fixed on me alone? She's probably having a hard enough time already, so why can't I bring myself to put on a brave face for her? Why can't I be strong for her?"_

Suddenly, Zen's phone gave a sharp chirp, causing him to jump. For a moment, he felt a flicker of hope that perhaps it was Amy, calling him from the telephone booth again like that night that seemed like it was yesterday and a century ago at the same time, pleading for him to steal her away once more. With trembling fingers, Zen picked up the phone and answered the call, pressing the device to his ear.

"Hello?" he whispered breathlessly, his heart hammering in his chest as he waited for an answer.

"Zen! Thank goodness! This is Emerald, Amy's sister."

Zen's heart immediately deflated, causing him to sink down further into the couch. "Oh. Hi. Why are you calling me?"

"Because I need your help! Amy's not herself anymore! She's extremely depressed and has pretty much resigned herself over to the preposterous idea that she can never be happy, and it's making me crazy. I thought it wasn't a good idea for you two to get involved with one another but I was wrong. You are exactly what Amy needs to be happy, so if you really care about her, I beg you to please find a way to stop this wedding!" Emma gushed, her voice quivering with such emotion that it would pull at the heartstrings of a stone statue.

Zen's frown deepened as he drank in Emma's words, and somewhere deep inside him, a fire started to burn. Rising to his feet, he headed into the hallway and grabbed his leather of the closet before making his way towards the door. "Emerald, is there some place we could meet up? Some place that wouldn't make your father suspicious?"

Emma was quiet for a moment. "Go to Jumin's office. Call Mackenzie and anyone else you trust and think will be helpful. I'll let Jumin know you're coming."

"Alright. Is Amy there with you right now?"

"No, she left a little while ago to do some cake testing. Why?"

"I just wanted to hear her voice is all. I miss it." Zen whispered, a faint blush tinting his cheeks. He could practically see Emma rolling her eyes in his mind.

"Yep, you and Amy are definitely a corny, cliche match made in heaven." she muttered, making Zen smile.

"I'm glad to know you approve of me." he chuckled. "I'll be at Jumin's within the hour."

"Good. See you then."

* * *

When the door to Jumin's office swung open, all eyes looked up eagerly to see Jaehee entering the room with Emma in tow. A grave silence lingered in the air as Jaehee quickly shut and locked the door and Saeyoung turned on a sound machine to help protect the group's conversation from eavesdroppers. Once everything was set, everyone sat down around a large coffee table while Emma started fishing in her coat pocket for something.

"Here. You might still get stopped at the door but I figured I should still give you one just in case." she said, tossing a wedding invitation onto the table and sliding it over to Zen.

"Thanks." Zen replied, gingerly picking up the invite and tucking it into his coat.

"So what's the plan here, exactly? Do we even have a plan?" MC asked.

"No. That's what we're all here to discuss." Jumin stated plainly.

"Whatever we do, it needs to be timed exactly right for us to even hope for success." Saeyoung mumbled, his eyes narrowing as the gears in his head turned. "If it's security you're worried about, I could probably hack into the building's main network and set off some distractions so Zen can get through the building no problem."

"We should have someone waiting somewhere outside the chapel as well in case Zen needs some help, someone tough." MC said.

All eyes immediately turned to Jaehee, who squirmed uncomfortably under their gazed and started to blush.

"I guess I could do it. I might look a little suspicious just standing there though."

"Wait in the girls bathroom then. I'll hack into the camera feed too and text you when Zen is getting close to the chapel." Saeyoung answered. "You might want to doll yourself up a bit to make you even more distracting."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Jaehee scowled.

"Nothing, nothing! Forget I said anything. Zen, you might want to bring a bag with a disguise in it so you can change once you're inside." Saeyoung continued as the pieces started to come together in his head.

Emma stared at Saeyoung in utter amazement. "Incredible. How did you think up something like that?"

"No task is too great and no puzzle to tricky for Genius 707 not to find a solution." MC giggled, giving her fiancé's hand a gentle squeeze.

"But what about me?! I want to do something too!" Yoosung protested, his cheeks puffing up in a childish pout.

Jumin let out a quiet chuckle, surprising everyone.

"You, Yoosung, are going to be my best man, and as such I need you to make as many mistakes as possible to give Zen more time. Emeral-Emma, that goes for you too since you're the maid of honor." he answered coolly, the faintest traces of a smile on his face.

"I understand. We won't let you down!" Emma answered confidently. When he glanced over at Emerald, MC could've sworn she saw Yoosung blush for a moment before he hurriedly looked away, his hair hiding his hot cheeks.

"Even if we do manage to pull this all off and Zen makes it to the wedding, there is still the problem of Mr. Hall. He will no doubt try to mentally and emotionally manipulate Amethyst into continuing with the ceremony." Jaehee stated, her chin resting thoughtfully between her thumb and pointer finger.

"Leave Amy's father to me. I know how to deal with him." Jumin declared firmly.

"This could still fail. We could do all this and still have nothing change." Zen mumbled quietly, his eyes fixed on the carpet beneath his feet.

Silence fell over the rest of the room as the others all shared a concerned glance. Rising, Emma crossed over to Zen and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're right. We could fail. However, doesn't Amy mean enough to you that you're at least willing to try?" she purred softly.

"Of course! I would do anything for her! I'm just not sure my heart will be able to take it if we don't succeed." Zen mumbled, nervously wringing his hands.

"We will succeed; you're too stubborn to give up when you want something bad enough." Jumin stated.

Yoosung raised an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to be a complement or an insult?"

"Probably both." MC shrugged.

"What about Zen's reputation though? The media will most certainly be in uproar about this!" Jaehee suddenly interjected.

"That's a problem we'll have to worry about later. Right now, our focus needs to be on getting Zen from point A to point Amy." Seven stated. "Jumin, I'll need the name of the chapel you're going to so I can set everything up and email Zen a blueprint of the building."

"Jaehee, email that to Saeyoung within the hour." Jumin told his assistant curtly. Feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket, he pulled it out and glanced down at the screen, his expression souring as he read the text he had been sent. "I hate to cut this meeting short but Mr. Hall is asking for me to escort you home, Emerald. I suggest we don't keep him waiting."

Emerald's shoulders sagged as a sigh escaped her lips. Turning to Zen one last time, she bent down so they were eye to eye and said, "I'm counting on you. Don't let me down."

"I won't. Watch over your sister for me and make sure your dad doesn't get suspicious."

"Deal. Good luck to all of you."

"I'm the infamous 707! I don't need luck!" Saeyoung crowed smugly.

"Oh honey, don't say that. You'll jinx us all." MC groaned.


	17. A Ceremony of Cliches

That night, Zen could hardly sleep a wink and every time he did manage to drift off he was startled awake by vivid nightmares, so when the first rays of sunshine began to reach out to him from over the horizon, he gave a loud groan and sluggish rose to his feet.

 _"No Zen! You gotta wake up! Today's the big day!"_ he mentally scolded himself, slapping his cheeks several times in an attempt to wake himself up. Heading into the kitchen, he hurriedly started making himself some coffee, and as his drink brewed, he dashed into the hallway to check his bag one last time.

"Looks like everything is still here." he mumbled as he ran his fingers over the black suit he had found in his closet. Closing the satchel one more, he dashed back into the kitchen and guzzled the scalding hot coffee in a few ungentlemanly slurps before bolting back into his room and hurriedly changing.

After he had freshened up, the actor picked up with earpiece MC had delivered the day before and popped it into his ear, turning it on with a tap of his finger.

"Testing. Testing. One, two, three. Seven, can you hear me?" he said as he bent down to slip on his shoes and grab his bag.

"Loud and clear, buddy. You ready?" Seven chirped.

"No but that doesn't matter. You have the address for the chapel for me?"

"Yep. Your phone's GPS should be getting directions right about...now!"

On cue, Zen's phone gave a short hum, alerting him that the directions had successfully downloaded.

"Thanks Seven. I memorized most of the blueprint yesterday but I still might need your help if the navigating depending on the positioning of the security team."

"Gotcha. You have your change of clothes?"

"Yep. Anything else I should bring as well just in case?"

"Just the devilish charm that made Amy fall for you. Now get going! The wedding starts in twenty minutes and you're about fifteen to sixteen minutes away from the chapel if traffic flow is steady." Seven said.

"Roger that. Is MC here with the car?"

"Yep, so get going already!"

Smiling, Zen slung his bag over his shoulder and dashed out of the house, practically throwing himself into the backseat of MC's car as he chucked his phone into her lap.

"Drive, woman! Drive!" he exclaimed as he shut the car door and yanked the seatbelt across his lap.

MC didn't need to be told twice and slammed her foot down on the break, causing her and Zen to streak down the quiet street like two maniacs. Pulling a rather fast and sloppy turn, she leaped onto the main road and sped down it at a speed that was most likely illegal, switches lanes almost a dozen times as she tried to get around some slow moving trucks. Zen swore he saw his life flash before his eyes more than once but he was too busy replaying the plan over and over again in his mind to care much; besides, they were making great time and would probably make it to the chapel before the wedding even started. However, the sound of beeping horns and screeching tires hastily put an end to that fantasy as MC came to an abrupt stop, her car mere centimeters behind the bumper of the car in front of her.

"Crap! This road is backed up for at least a mile!" she groaned as she surveyed the row of almost completely still cars in front of her.

Zen cursed and hastily started to undo his seatbelt. "I can't wait that long. I'll just have to run."

"Hurry Zen! Going on foot will take a lot longer than driving!"

Jumping out of the car, Zen immediately sprinted down the sidewalk, causing heads to turn and whispers to erupt.

"Isn't that Zen, the famous actor?"

"What's he doing?"

"Where is he going and what is in that bag?"

Shaking his head to drown out the noise around him, Zen refocused his attention on his breathing and occasionally cast a glance down at his phone to make sure he was headed in the right direction. Given that this day was an exceptionally hot one, he quickly became drenched in sweat due to the exercise along with his heavy coat. After what seemed like an hour, Zen paused for a moment after rounding a corner and took a few deep breaths to steady himself, and when he looked up, he was both surprised and relieved to see the chapel building across the street. Fishing his invitation out of his pocket, he tried to straighten himself up a bit before strutting across the road and heading towards the door, which was surrounded by paparazzi. One woman let out a scream.

"Oh my gosh! Everybody look! It's Zen!"

More screeches rose from the crowd as Zen blushed and awkwardly waved before approaching a group of burly looking men wearing suits and sunglasses that were standing in front of the door. The largest of the men, who was holding a clipboard, cast a look of disdain at the actor.

"Can I help you?" he rumbled.

"Yes. I'm here for the wedding. Has it started yet?"

The man's eyes narrowed suspiciously as he scanned Zen from head to toe. "Yes. Where is your invitation?"

"Right here, sir." Zen smiled, handing the slip of paper to the guard.

Scowling, the guard flipped the invitation over a few times before glancing down at his clipboard. Turning to a couple of his companions, he exchanged a few words with them before turning back to the actor.

"Where did you get this?" he asked bluntly.

"It was given to me, same as everyone else."

The guard's frown deepened. "I don't buy it. Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to please leave."

Zen scowled at the guard before whispering into his earpiece, "Seven, I need a little help here."

"I got it. Just make sure your earpiece doesn't get wet."

"What do you-"

Loud shrieks rose from the crowd at the chapel's sprinkler system roared to life, spraying everyone within a ten foot radius with icy cold water. Taking advantage of the chaos, Zen hastily ducked between an opening in the security guards' formation, but as he reached for the door, he felt something yank him back and looked over his shoulder to see the head guard clinging to his bag.

"Hey, get back here!" the man barked.

Cursing, Zen released the bag and dashed into the building, leaving a trail of little puddles behind him.

"Thanks a lot, Seven. Now I'm soaking wet and have no change of clothes." he grumbled.

No response.

"Seven?"

Pulling the earpiece out, Zen glanced down at it and cursed when he noticed water dripping from it. _"Crap! It's broken! I'm on my own. Memory don't fail me now."_

Recalling the image of the blueprint, Zen dashed around a corner only to stop when he noticed a wealthy looking man about his height standing by the bathroom door, looking down at his phone. Straightening his jacket and running his fingers through his sopping wet hair in hopes of making himself somewhat decent looking, Zen approached the man, who shrinked back at the sight of him.

"Pardon me, sir, but could I borrow that jacket of yours?" he asked with a charming smile.

"Absolutely not! How did you even get in here?! Get back to the street where you belong, you filthy rat-"

"Oh my gosh! It's Zen!"

Zen glanced in the direction of the voice to see two girls, presumably the man's daughters, standing by the entrance to the girl's bathroom, their eyes sparkling with excitement as they stared at him.

"Hello girls. Lovely day, isn't it?" he crowed, flashing the ladies a wink that made them squeal like piglets. "Tell you what, sir, I'll give each of your daughters an autograph completely free of charge if you give me your jacket. I think that sounds like a fair trade, don't you girls?"

The two daughters nodded vigorously and shot their father pleading glances. Sighing loudly, the man stripped off his coat and handed it to Zen while his daughters screamed and each pulled out a picture of Zen that they had gotten who knows where.

"Thank you, sir. I knew from the moment I saw you that you were the reasonable type." Zen clucked as he fished a pen from his pocket and scribbled down his signature on each girl's photo before dashing into the bathroom and stripping off his wet jacket. Retrieving his phone, he was relieved to see it hadn't be damaged by the water as well and hastily dialed Saeyoung's number as he shrugged on his new coat.

"Zen! I told you not to get the earpiece wet!" Saeyoung exclaimed when he answered the call.

"Then don't turn on the sprinklers next time!" Zen snapped in reply as he pushed open the door to the men's bathroom. However, he quickly slammed it shut again when he saw several security guards standing in the lobby, scanning the room for any sign of him.

"Saeyoung, I need a little more help here!"

"Give me a second! I need to find where you are!" Saeyoung grunted, followed by the rapid tapping of his fingers against the keyboard. "Okay, run when I tell you to, alright? Go now!"

Throwing open the door, Zen flew out of the bathroom as a sound like nails on a chalkboard filled his ears. None of the guards seemed to notice him as they stared down at their phones, completely baffled as to why they were watching a video of two cats fighting. Not wasting time to question his friend's methods, Zen sprinted down the hallway that led to the main room of the chapel only to skid to a halt when he saw a few guards stationed by the door.

"Seven, where's Jaehee?" he whisper-yelled into his phone.

"I'm texting her now. Hold on."

Zen held his breath and watched the chapel doors anxiously as he waited for Jaehee. Slowly, one of the doors opened and out slipped a beautiful woman wearing a long golden dress with a matching handbag and heels, her many bracelets jangling loudly as she moved. Zen's jaw dropped in utter shock as he watched Jaehee sashay over to one of the guards and lean in close to him, making him blush.

"Excuse me, handsome but do you know where the ladies' room is?" she cooed sweetly as she placed a hand on his arm.

"Uh j-just down the hall, miss." the man stuttered in reply, his eyes fixed on Jaehee's rosy lips.

"Thank you." Jaehee smiled sweetly before flipping the man with ease, sending him to the floor. The other men stared at her in utter shock as she grabbed the taser from the one guard's belt and pointed it at them threateningly.

"Hurry, Zen! They're starting the vows." she stated as the actor left his hiding spot and barreled towards the doors.

"Thanks Jaehee. You look great by the way."

As the assistant's cheeks adopted a pinkish hue, Zen pressed his hands against the smooth wood of the double doors and threw them open with much gusto.

"WAIT!"

* * *

As Amy stared at herself in the mirror, a long,weary sigh escaped her lips.

"You need to smile, Amethyst. This is your wedding day." her father snapped coldly as he walked up behind her.

"Sorry father." Amy mumbled softly, her eyes fixed on the floor.

Scowling, Mr. Hall stepped in front of his daughter and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "Did you actually think what you and that actor had was love? Love is not created that quickly, Amethyst; it takes years to grow and even then it might not be love that you truly have but instead a momentary lustful passion that fizzles as you go on. You do not need love; all you need in a partner is that he is wellbred and wealthy."

"Yes father." Amy replied halfheartedly.

"I thought I told you to smile. I won't refrain from yelling at you even if it's your wedding day." Mr. Hall growled.

A small, obviously fake smile graced Amy's lips. "I'm sorry, Father."

"You should be. Now, quit gawking at yourself in the mirror and come along. They're almost ready for you." Mr. Hall grunted, taking his daughter's hand and guiding her out of the room and towards the chapel doors. Amy remained completely silent as she followed helpless behind him, the aching in her chest growing more and more prominent as she got closer and closer to the room where her inescapable destiny was waiting for her. As two of her father's three bodyguards opened the doors, Amy allowed her father to slowly escort her down the aisle, her blank gaze fixed on the very front of the room as she walked. Jumin looked just as thrilled as she felt, his steely gray eyes watching the doors behind her like he was waiting for someone. All too quickly, the aisle came to an end and Amy's arm was transferred from her father's to Jumin's as she was guided up the steps. As she and Jumin turned to face one another, the preacher began droning on and on, not that either one of them heard a single word he spoke until a key phrase caught their attention.

"Do you, Jumin Han, take Amethyst Hall to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Jumin released a heavy sigh. "I do."

"And do you, Amethyst Hall, take Jumin Han to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

Amy bit her lip and glanced uncertainly at her father for a moment, earning herself a disapproving scowl. Shuddering, she turned her gaze back to Jumin to utter the words that would both save her and kill her at the same time.

"I-"

"WAIT!"

Gasps rose from the crowd as all eyes whipped around to see Zen burst through the doors of the chapel and charge down the aisleway. Amy's jaw dropped to the floor as Jumin rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"You're always one for the dramatics, aren't you, Zen?" he grumbled.

"Zen, what are you doing here?! How did you even get in?!" Amy gawked.

"It's a long story that doesn't matter right now. Amethyst, you can't marry Jumin; I won't let you!" Zen exclaimed as he raced up the steps and snatched her hands up in his own, weaving his fingers with hers. "Amy, I know you think you are doing the right thing by sacrificing yourself for you sister but there are other ways to deal with this, ways that can end with both you and Emerald being happy. Please, come back with me; I need you."

Amy's lip quivered as she drank in the passion swirling in Zen's scarlet orbs, but before she could say anything, she was roughly jerked away by her father.

"How dare you! How dare you! You have some nerve coming here uninvited and interrupting a sacred ceremony!" Mr. Hall spat angrily as he glared down at Zen.

"And how dare you force your daughter to marry someone she does not love for your own personal gain!" Zen retorted defiantly.

"It is my right!"

"It is not your right!"

"Zen, please stop this." Amy whimpered.

"No! Amy, I won't stop! You don't deserve this! You deserve to be with someone who loves you more than anything!"

"What do you know about love?! You're an actor, aren't you? You pretend to feel things for people's entertainment! You could be lying about loving my daughter and just be toying with her heart because you are bored!"

"My love is not an act, and I obviously know more about love than you do, old man!" Zen barked. Turning to Amy once more, he reached out and pulled her to his chest, cradling her close to him.

"Amy, people may say that the chance of falling completely and sincerely in love with someone in only a couple weeks is one in a million, but you are my one in a million. In the days we've been apart I've barely been able to crawl forth from my bed to greet the world and everything I used to love brought me no joy because all it did was remind me of you. Amy, I may trust Jumin with some things since he is a member of the RFA, but you are not one of them. The only one I trust to truly take care of you is myself which I why I'm begging you to abandon this wedding and come with me back to the place where you belong."

Amy swallowed the golf ball sized lump in her throat as tears started to cloud her vision. "Storming the wedding...begging for me to run away with you...you're so cliche, Zen."

Zen chuckled softly as he buried his face in his hair. "I thought you found my clicheness to be amusing."

Amy giggled and wrapped her arms around Zen's neck, swaying back and forth with him for a moment as their hearts beat in unison. Taking a deep breath, she turned to face the preacher and Jumin, who were watching her curiously.

"Jumin, I'm sorry but I can't marry you." she said firmly.

"You do not need to apologize. Now hurry and go with him. Emma, you join them as well." Jumin replied with a slight nod.

"Wait just a minute! My daughters will not be going anywhere! One of them is going to be your bride whether they like it or not because I need a son-in-law to take over my company!" Mr. Hall screamed, his face red with anger.

"Mr. Hall, I do not need one of your daughters in exchange for your company. I will gladly take it off your hands, but I have a few conditions." Jumin stated as he looked Amy's father dead in the eye, sending chills down his spine.

"And what would those be exactly?"

"You are to let Amethyst and Emerald move out and live their own lives, and you are not to pressure them or intervene with their lives any more. Those are my conditions. Should I give you a couple days to think them over or-"

"No! I...I agree to your terms!" Mr. Hall said quickly, shooting a glance at his daughters before awkwardly shuffling his feet.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it. Zen, Driver Kim should be waiting out back with the limo to take you three home. Emerald, MC has offered for you to stay with her until you can afford your own apartment." Jumin stated calmly.

"Jumin, thank you. I can never repay you for what you have done." Amy stammered, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I do not require you to repay me. Just make Zen happy so he whines less."

"Will do. Come on, Em!"

Tightly gripping each other's hand, Amy and Zen barreled down the aisle with Emma in tow, cheers rising from many of the spectators as they went. However, one of the few silent spectators scowled at the relieved bride as she watched her disappear.

 _"This isn't over, Amethyst Hall. Not even close."_ Echo Girl vowed, her hands clenching into fists.

Meanwhile, Zen, Amy, and Emma all hastily clambered down the steps at the back of the chapel and climbed into the waiting car. As Emma shut the door behind her, Zen pulled Amy into his lap and pressed his lips to her own in a passionate kiss.

"Finally! Finally you're mine again!" he whispered as he peppered her neck with loving pecks, his grip on her waist tightening.

"Zen, that tickles! Knock it off, you goofball!" Amy squealed, smacking his chest.

Grinning like an idiot, Zen pressed his forehead against Amy's and rubbed his nose lovingly against hers.

"You are safe now, Your Majesty. The dragon will never come near you ever again." he whispered as he lost himself in her eyes.

Amy smiled happily and placed a gentle kiss on Zen's nose. "Thank you for saving me, my darling White Knight. I knew I could count on you."

"Now, do you still disapprove of being swept off to my kingdom and becoming my queen or have you warmed up to the idea?"

"At least take me out to dinner first, you dork."

As the couple continued to cutely banter back and forth with one another, Emerald looked on with a broad smile on her lips. This was the fate meant for her sister; this was the role she was meant to play all along. By abandoning the script her father had forced upon her, she had found something much greater, something nothing and no one else could replace; she had found freedom. Oh, and she had found Zen too. That was a plus.

* * *

 **Don't worry, my darlings, Amy and Zen's final curtain hasn't come just yet. I still have to write the epilogue, and I am working on plans for a sequel story as well. I hope you have enjoyed this story so far and look forward to the sequel as much as I do.**


	18. A Happy Ending For Now

_Several months later…_

Zen rarely felt nervous anymore while being onstage, but as he stared out at the crowd before him, he couldn't stop anxiously fidgeting with his clothes as he struggled to calm his racing heart.

"Deep breaths, Zen. Everything's going to be fine." Jaehee cooed as she fixed his tie for him.

"I know that but I still feel nervous." Zen whispered as he fussed with his ponytail, pulling it over his shoulder then tossing it back when he decided he didn't like it there.

"Just keep your eyes on Amy. Do that and you'll be fine. Besides, she's the only thing that really matters in this, right?"

"R-Right. You're very right. Thank you, Jaehee. I don't know what I would do without you."

"There's no need to thank me. I better go join the girls in back now. Good luck!" Jaehee smiled before scurrying off just before the organ started to play.

As music filled the large room, Zen and the others present all turned their eyes to watch procession, chuckling as the flower girls spastically hurled flower petals into the air and smiling as the bridesmaids and groomsmen walked arm in arm down the aisle. After the maid of honor and best man, which surprisingly were Yoosung and Emma again, made their way onstage, the music changed and everyone rose to their feet as the doors at the back of the room swung open again. Zen's heart fluttered with excitement as he beheld his one and only love gliding down the aisle on the arm of her stepfather, a broad smile on her lips and a sparkle in her eyes that put all other women to shame. His chest swelled with such pride that he drank in the sight of her, from the elegant tiara sparkling amongst the flowing curls in her hair to the way her dress hugged her curves before flaring outwards to create a fluffy skirt, the essential piece to any princess gown. As they locked eyes, Zen could practically feel the chapel around them melting away, revealing a large castle made of gleaming white stone and filled with smell of roses and books. Grinning so widely that his cheeks hurt, Zen extended his hand toward his bride and swooped her into his arms, resting his forehead against hers as he lost himself in her eyes.

"You ready?" he whispered, the droning of the preacher no more than background noise to him as he gazed at her with undeniable affection.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Amy replied with a sheepish shrug as she squeezed his hands tight.

"And do you, Hyun Ryu, take Amethyst Hall to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"And do you, Amethyst Hall, take Hyundai Ryu to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold in good times and bad times, in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Then by the power invested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss the-"

Zen couldn't hold himself back any longer and greedily captured Amethyst's lips with his own before the preacher had finished, cheers and applause ringing in his ears. Amethyst eagerly kissed back, her fingers sliding into the hair at the nape of his neck as he picked her up by her waist. Breaking the kiss, Zen flashed his now wife a devious grin and spun her around in the air, causing her to squeal, before taking her hand and guiding her back down the aisle as the two of them laughed like idiots. After they darted through the main room's doors, however, the couple paused for a moment and stared at the next set of doors, the doors leading to the outside world. They could already hear the clamoring of the paparazzi as they waited to catch a glimpse of the newly weds and the babbling of newscasters who had all gathered to broadcast the occasion. Sighing, Zen shot his bride a loving glance and pulled her a little closer.

"Are you sure about this, Zen?" Amy whispered as she played with the silver, diamond studded ring that now clung to her ring finger.

"Yes. I want to proclaim to the entire world that you are now mine. However, if it makes you uncomfortable, we can always duck out around back-"

"No." Amy said firmly as she straightened her shoulders, a defiant glimmer in her eyes. The sight made Zen's heart go wild in his chest.

"I love you so much, darling. I swear no man on this earth is luckier than I." he whispered as he placed a breathy kiss on the back of her ear.

Amy fought back a blush. "Zen, stop that! We still have the wedding reception to go to!"

"Why do we have to have that again? I just want to skip to the honeymoon already." Zen grumbled as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Just a little longer, Zen. I promise. Once the reception is over, I'm all yours." Amy whispered huskily, a sultry smile on her lips.

A low growl of approval echoed from Zen's throat as he attacked Amy's lips once before, chewing ever so tenderly on her bottom lip as she whimpered quietly. Pulling back before his inner beast took over, he once more interwove his hand with Amy's, and the two of them pushed the double doors open together, greeting the crowd outside with confident smiles as they walked side by side out into the open.

* * *

To Zen's surprise, the reception wasn't as unbearable as expected. Due to the flurry of emotions inside him earlier that day, he hadn't realized how hungry he was till the smell of fresh food hit his nose, making his stomach groan with yearning. Amy noticed, of course, and gladly took the opportunity to feed her husband, sneaking a few kisses along the way.

"I'm going to eat you soon if you don't stop." Zen smirked after her latest attempt. Amy just chuckled in response and kissed him again before nibbling on some of the food herself. Frowning, Zen reached out and bit off a piece of the morsel, his lips brushing against Amy's and thus causing her to squeal.

"Z-Zen!" she exclaimed, her face going bright red.

"Just giving you a taste of your own medicine, sweetheart. Bitter, isn't it?" Zen snickered, earning himself a death glare.

After dinner was finished, the dancing started. Smiling proudly, Zen led Amy to the center of the floor for their first dance and pulled her into his arms. As the first notes of the song started to play, tears sprang to Amy's eyes when she recognized it as the song he had proposed to her to.

"Zen…" she breathed, her lip quivering. Zen only pulled her closer so she could rest her head on his shoulder as they swayed back and forth to the music.

 ** _All those days watching from the windows_**

 ** _All those years outside looking in_**

 ** _All that time never even knowing_**

 ** _Just how blind I've been_**

 ** _Now I'm here blinking in the starlight_**

 ** _Now I'm here suddenly I see_**

 ** _Standing here it's all so clear_**

 ** _I'm where I'm meant to be_**

 ** _And at last I see the light_**

 ** _And it's like the fog has lifted_**

 ** _And at last I see the light_**

 ** _And it's like the sky is new_**

 ** _And it's warm and real and bright_**

 ** _And the world has somehow shifted_**

 ** _All at once everything looks different_**

 ** _Now that I see you_**

 ** _All those days chasing down a daydream_**

 ** _All those years living in a blur_**

 ** _All that time never truly seeing_**

 ** _Things, the way they were_**

 ** _Now she's here shining in the starlight_**

 ** _Now she's here suddenly I know_**

 ** _If she's here it's crystal clear_**

 ** _I'm where I'm meant to go_**

 ** _And at last I see the light_**

 ** _And it's like the fog has lifted_**

 ** _And at last I see the light_**

 ** _And it's like the sky is new_**

 ** _And it's warm and real and bright_**

 ** _And the world has somehow shifted_**

 ** _All at once everything is different_**

 ** _Now that I see you_**

 ** _Now that I see you_**

Applause rose from the other people present as Amy and Zen finished the dance with a tearful, passion-filled kiss before splitting off, Amy going to her stepdad's side for the daddy-daughter dance while Zen rejoined the crowd. As he stood watching his bride glide gracefully across the dance floor, he felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to behold a face he hadn't seen in a long time.

"You…You came." He breathed, not believing his eyes. His brother offered him an awkward shrug.

"I felt like I owed it to you, I guess."

Zen frowned and glanced around the room. "If you're here, then did Mom…?"

"I'm sorry, Hyun. I tried to convince her to come but she wouldn't budge."

Zen's shoulders sagged. "I see...Well, that least you're here, I guess."

Zen's brother shuffled awkwardly and quickly decided to change the subject as his gaze fell on Amy. "So, that's the lady of the hour, huh? You really know how to pick them, little brother. Think you can set me up?"

Zen managed to muster a chuckle. "I'll see what I can do. You seem much more laid back than I remember you to be."

"People change, I guess." His brother replied before growing rather quiet. "Hyun, I-"

"Don't. I already know what you're going to say and it isn't necessary. Amy has helped me to move on and I hope you will do the same. We shouldn't be obsessed with the past and should focus on the future instead, right?" Zen said. His brother started to smile.

"Pretty wise for someone who didn't complete high school." he commented smugly, earning a gentle slug to the arm from his little brother. "So, does my lovely new sister-in-law have a friend you could introduce me to or…?"

"I'm not sure but I'll let you know." Zen crowed.

Suddenly, as soon as the daddy-daughter dance ended, a familiar voice echoed out from the speakers.

"Alright, alright, enough with the sentimental stuff! This is a party, isn't it? So let's party!" Saeyoung exclaimed, earning cheers from the rest of the crowd while MC buried her head in her hands, her cheeks turning the color of her husband's hair.

* * *

As he and Amy entered his-no, their house later that night, Zen grabbed his bride and pinned her against the wall, hungrily capturing her lips in his.

"You really have no patience, do you?" Amy tested as she played with his tie.

"Woman, I've been waiting to do this for months!"

"Well, I guess I shouldn't keep you waiting much longer, should I?"

"No, you shouldn't."

Eyes sparkling, Amy yanked Zen down to her level and pulled him into another passionate kiss. Zen rumbled in approval as his picked his wife up and carried her towards the room that they would now share, kicking the door shut behind him.

* * *

 **Song credits: I See the Light - Tangled**

 **And there you have it, darlings! Book one is complete! The sequel won't completely focus on Amy and Zen but they will play a pretty significant role in it and be seen quite often.**

 **So, who do you think will get the spotlight in the next book: Jumin, Yoosung, Saeyoung, or someone else? Let me know what you think.**

 **Up next: Mystic Messenger: Livin La Vida Loca**


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